Technical and Operational Tools

Organizations and Knowledge Sources 

The Strategic Environmental Assessment Information Service provides a gateway to up-to-date information on Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA) applicable to city planning.   Its website is targeted mainly for authorities and others involved in implementing the requirements of the SEA Directive, which pertains to EU Member States.   The information is organized by sectors (i.e. water, energy, transport, land use) containing legislation, guidance reports and ongoing research.  The document " Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive: Guidance for Planning Authorities" is a relevant report  on the topic. 

The Sustainable Cities Program,  a UN Facility applying specialized know-how in Urban Environmental Management, provides documents through the following link regarding the preparation of Environmental Profiles, City Consultations, Institutionalizing the Environmental Planning and Management processes and Environmental Management Information Systems (tip: look under 'Tools').  It also provides a set of documents relevant to the methodology proposed  regarding Environmental Planning and Management in cities.  ( Source: UN-Habitat).

The International Environmental Technology Centre at the UNEP, provides decision support tools including  Environmental Risk Assessment-EnRA,  Environmental Technology Assessments-EnTA, Rapid Urban Assessment -RUEA -and Environmental Profiling, which contribute to the process of policy determination relative to proceeding with a policy/ program/ project/ activity. http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/SupportingTools/Index.asp  or http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/Publications/techpublications/TechPub-14/index.asp

The Global Development Research Center (GDRC), an internet-based organization for knowledge sharing, carries out initiatives in education, research and practice, in the spheres of environment, urban issues, community, economy and information.  Its Environmental Policy  section provides a link to various topics about tools such as Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) including procedures, guidelines and applicability. 

Case Studies

The Analytical Strategic Environmental Assessment (ANSEA) project is a research project financed by the European Union.  It aims to provide an enhanced theoretical and methodological background for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and to provide a framework for assisting in the implementation of European and national directives and procedural requirements in this area. This website provides access to case studies (focusing in Europe) on Analytical Strategic Environmental Assessments in urban development and planning projects. 

Publications & Reports

 "Environmental Assessment in a Changing World: Evaluating Practice to Improve Performance" presented by the Australian Environmental Impact Assessment Network (1996).

The study, led by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency,  has examined the status of environmental assessment world-wide and has identified challenges for all of us in the future. This report comprises the framework, findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the International Study of the Effectiveness of Environmental Assessment. It presents, through highlight boxes and chapter folios, key points and issues related to the practice of environmental assessment. The results, together with the many case studies, clearly demonstrate how environmental assessment is influencing and improving decision making. Environmental assessment has now become institutionalized in over 100 countries and is a standard practice in business.

"Urban Ecosystems Analysis (UEA): Identifying Tools and Nethods" presented by the Institute of Advanced Studies of the United Nations University  (2003).

This report based on research conducted at UNU/IAS in collaboration with the UNESCO and the WHO, describes tools and methods of UEA, which serve as guides and techniques to provide useful information for decision makers when performing environmental impact assessments of proposed policies, plans and programs and other environmental related analysis.