Comparative Evaluation of the EIA Systems in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Angola, and the European Union

This article provides a comparative overview of environmental impact assessment (EIA) in Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Angola, and the European Union (EU). EIA “systemic measure” and “foundation measure” criteria are used to evaluate and compare the performance of each system. In contrast to the EU, EIA must be carried out by registered experts in the African countries. In Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa public consultation is mandatory during scoping. In Kenya and Tanzania the EIA study should contain measures to prevent health hazards, to ensure employee safety, and for emergency management. EIA system monitoring is required in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and in the EU, but not in South Africa and Angola. Financial issues, insufficient qualified personnel, and an increasing number of EIA applications undermine the capacity of competent authorities to adequately monitor these EIA systems. Consequently, training programmes increase effectiveness of EIA implementation is a common request. The African countries reviewed here have adopted EIA and integrated EIA systems into public policy despite the constraints they face. As they continue to gain experience in EIA and to revise their EIA systems, they are moving towards a more flexible system with greater public involvement and robust arrangements and practices.

Environmental Sustainability: A 30-Year Progress Assessment in Portugal

Sustainable development is a common goal for all countries since the concept was adopted at the 1992 Rio Conference. European Union (EU) became a world leader in most of indicators despite successive enlargement of country members with newcomers often facing basic environmental problems. In 1986, Portugal became a member of the European Economic Community (EEC), and immediately began to reflect its environmental policies. Over the last 30 years, the support of EU funds and the implementation of environmental public policies in Portugal, have been essential for the country’s sustainable development. As a result, Portugal’s standards started to be closer to those of the EU and, in some cases even exceeded it. The present article addresses, for the first time, a long series of 30 years (1987-2017), in a retrospective analysis of a set of indicators, in order to characterize the evolution of Portugal’s environmental sustainability, its relationship to the national public policies, and in the context of the EU. The progress of the indicators towards specific environmental sustainability targets is also evaluated. Moreover, a set of key indicators that also evaluate the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are identified. The results show that the evolution of Portugal’s environmental sustainability in the last 30 years was remarkable. The water standards, air quality, urban waste, and energy sectors showed high improvement. However, the evolution in the sectors such as land use, and environmental risks, particularly forest fires, were negative. On the other hand, for some indicators, such as renewable energies or bathing water quality, Portugal performed better than the EU-28. Environmental performance shows the positive influence of EU environment policies and structural support, changing dramatically the quality of the environment in Portugal, from a negative situation to a success case study in a generation period.

Trends in Maritime Spatial Planning in Europe: An Approach to Governance Models

Maritime spatial planning is considered a key instrument for the success of integrated maritime policy. MSP is therefore an integrated approach to address the conflicting and competing uses of ocean resources and spaces in order to achieve the sustainable development of seas. This paper aims to access how governance models have been evolving with the implementation of MSP in Europe. The study compares institutional and legal frameworks in a North-South context, based on the case studies of Norway, Netherlands, England, Germany and Portugal and concludes that, although there are similarities in the legal frameworks developed to implement MSP, more profound differences arise on marine governance models and institutional frameworks, reflecting different political approaches and regional contexts.

The State of Sea Systems and Practices in East and Southern Africa

This paper develops a comparative overview of SEA in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa regarding legal, institutional and procedural perspectives, in order to assess their effectiveness and unveil main constrains. It is clear from this brief review that SEA is a tool of environmental governance that is of growing importance in East and Southern Africa. With regards to the institutional and legal framework, both Kenya and Tanzania have formal provisions for SEA, but no specific legislation. The main constrains on SEA effectiveness are related to the lack of a clear mandate and institutional framework, guidelines for procedures and public participation. As this analysis and case studies from the three countries examined here reveal, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa have expanded their use of SEA as a preventive mechanism for environmental policy and to enhance the efficiency of strategic decisions. While each of these countries has made great strides in developing the SEA process and integrating it into their decision-making processes, much work remains to be done. Ongoing refinement to the SEA process, both within this region and elsewhere in the world, will mean that this important tool integrates sustainable environmental management principles and practices into policies, plans, and programmes and the decision-making process.