Ineke Steinhauer
Technical secretary
The NCEA advised on Terms of Reference (ToR) for a pilot Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in the framework of its support to SEA introduction in Bolivia. The pilot SEA concerns developments in the Puerto Busch region. Some further specifications and suggestions were provided in a supplementary advice on ToR.
Significant details
As part of its support activities for SEA introduction in Bolivia, the NCEA assisted the Environmental Ministry in developing methodologies for pilot SEAs. These methodologies could then be replicated and applied more broadly for future SEAs. The first activity under this cooperation programme was advise on Terms of Reference (ToR) for a pilot SEA for the 'Polo de Desarrollo Sur-este' (south-eastern spearhead of development) of Puerto Busch.
The NCEA paid a site visit and presented its advisory ToR for process and contents of the SEA. It also recommended on institutional capacity needed for undertaking this SEA.
During a later visit of the NCEA (in the framework of another SEA pilot), discussions on the ToR were held with the Environmental Ministry, the Dutch Embassy, and the departmental government. Based on these discussions, the NCEA offered to assist in two additional activities:
- Further specification of the preliminary ToR once decisions have been taken on the planning process and the corresponding level of the SEA;
- Suggestions for the set up and management of the SEA study, including the profile of SEA experts who will undertake the SEA.
In a supplementary advice on ToR, the NCEA provided these specifications and suggestions. For further specification of the ToR, the NCEA advised a layered approach in which each layer builds on information gathered in the previous one:
- Layer 1: Economic activities causing positive and negative impacts in the region;
- Layer 2: Responses in the social environment to economic activities;
- Layer 3: Infrastructure needs for economic and social development;
- Layer 4: Land, water and natural resources as constraints and opportunities.
For the set up and management of the SEA, the NCEA gave suggestions for the profile of the core study team and for implementation arrangements and costs.