Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) emerged in the mid-late 1980s as a higher-level environmental impact assessment process that aimed to address the increasing complexity of environmental issues; to promote consideration of the environment at every level of government planning and decision-making; and to provide a strategic framework to support EIA application.
SEA can be used in three main ways:
  1. to prepare a strategic development or resource use plan for a defined land and/or ocean area;
  2. to examine the potential environmental impacts that may arise from, or impact upon, the implementation of government policies, plans and programmes; and
  3. to assess different classes or types of development projects, so as to produce general environmental management policies or design guidelines for the development classes/types.

All three types of SEA aim to create a context for sustainable and resilient development, and to avoid or minimise cumulative impacts.This is done by:
  • identifying what forms of development are environmentally sound and appropriate;
  • pinpointing locations where developments are/are not permissible;
  • stipulating desired types and characteristics of developments; and
  • identifying broad environmental management measures that need to be followed.
To be influential and help improve policy-making, planning and decisions, an SEA should:
  • Establish clear goals.
  • Be integrated with existing policy and planning structures.
  • Be flexible, iterative and customised to context.
  • Analyse the potential effects and risks of the proposed policy/plan/programme, and its alternatives, against a framework of sustainability objectives, principles and criteria.
  • Provide explicit justification for the selection of preferred options and for the acceptance of significant trade-offs.
  • Identify environmental and other opportunities and constraints.
  • Address the linkages and trade-offs between environmental, social and economic considerations.
  • Involve key stakeholders and encourage public involvement.
OECD, Applying Strategic Environmental Assessment. p.30

What's the difference between EIA and SEA?

SEA v EIA
SPREP Guidelines, p.24