earticle

영어

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) can provide useful measures and methods for integrating environmental considerations with spatial and sectoral policies, plans and programmes. A recent Korean example is the national environmental policy debate in the Korean National Assembly, in which the Minister of Environment proposed SEA as an approach to environmental protection and enhancement by asserting those concerns in formulating policies and devising alternatives for their implementation. This approach would offer significant improvements in the present environmental impact assessment (EIA) system. Although EIA in Korea has been improved markedly over the past two decades, by enlarging the range of projects for assessment, instituting public participation and environmental monitoring, and similar measures, it remains deficient in its coverage of programmes and plans at the policy level across major sectors such as energy and land use. SEA can supply the necessary correctives.! In this process both institutional and methodological obstacles can be anticipated. Institutionally, ministerial resistance may arise from concerns about possible delays in policy reviews and increased programme costs. Methodologically, SEA effectiveness is limited by problems of professional judgment and public understanding. Its application in areas such as green belt planning, new town development, environmental carrying capacity, and pollution abatement requires further improvements in assessment tools. These are foremost among the current issues facing SEA in Korea. In response, the Ministry of Environment is preparing a task force to conduct a two-year research and development programme, followed by trial applications in selected policy arenas.