Great Western Development Strategy, China
From SEA.unu.edu/wiki
Background and objectives
A number of regions in eastern and central China have undergone rapid economic development in the last decade, but China’s western regions remain relatively poor and underdeveloped. In response, the Chinese Government’s “Great Western Development” (GWD) strategy provides a strategic framework linking over 20 national policies and a range of key construction projects. The SEA of the GWD Strategy (GWD SEA) was commissioned by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA). The aim was to examine environmental consequences and risks, and investigate possible modifications to specific elements of the strategy.
Approach
The SEA applied a relatively simple methodology involving co-ordinated analysis of the possible impacts associated with the implementation of the GWD strategy. This analysis focused on a broad range of environmental media and the project team used expert panels to examine both direct and indirect impacts of the strategy. They also explored alternative impact mitigation options.
Sector-based studies provided an additional level of analysis and included projections of how sectors will develop in the future. The case for increasing public participation and stakeholder dialogue was briefly explored within the report, but there were no references to any formal mechanisms for public participation within the SEA process. It is therefore unclear to what extent the SEA report addresses specific concerns highlighted by some key stakeholders.
Outcomes
The interim report contains a complex matrix of direct and indirect impacts arising from activities proposed in accordance with the GWD. Nevertheless, a simple message emerges from the analysis: the environmental situation in China’s western provinces is already serious, and aspects of the GWD tend to exacerbate some crucial environmental risks.
Each chapter of the interim report explores a range of mitigation measures that authorities could apply to alleviate these pressures. Additional work is required to quantify the effectiveness of these measures.
Arguably the ultimate test of the effectiveness of the GWD SEA study will be its capacity to influence audiences and institutions involved in the development, implementation and monitoring of the GWD Strategy. At this stage it is difficult to ascertain whether the SEA process has increased awareness and appreciation of environmental impacts associated with the GWD proposals. The breadth and scale of the GWD strategy has made it difficult to isolate specific proposals for detailed investigation. Further work on the draft report is required if it is to effectively articulate the case for a stronger focus on environmental threats and opportunities.
Source: Haakon Vennemo and Bartlett, in Dalal-Clayton and Sadler (2005).
(Reproduced with permission of OECD.)
