Environmental Assessment for Water-related Policies and Developments
For whom?
This course is designed for students and professionals - from the academic, public or private sectors- who want to develop a good understanding of the process of impact assessment and its applications to assess the impacts and benefits of project and strategic interventions (e.g. policies, plans, programs or laws).Prerequisites
Minimum a Bachelor's degree in environmental or social sciences, engineering, or management of natural resources.
Interest in understanding, from a multi-disciplinary perspective, how human interventions affect the interactions among socio-ecological and bio-physical processes.
Basic use of computer software for spreadsheets, drawing and word processing (e.g. Microsoft Office, Libre Office or Free Office).
Dates, Fee, ECTS
Start: 08 June 2020
End: 26 June 2020
ECTS credit points: 5
Deadline IHE application: 07 May 2020 - 23.59 (CET)
Course fee: € 2910
Start: 07 June 2021
End: 25 June 2021
Deadline IHE application: 06 May 2021 - 23.59 (CET)
Course fee: € 2910
VAT is not included in the course fee
Learning objectives
Upon completion, the participant should be able to:
- Explain the role of impact assessment (Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA] and Strategic Environmental Assessment [SEA]) in achieving sustainable development, and be able to reflect on their scope and limitations as tools to support decision-making.
- Describe selected methods and tools used in EIA & SEA and apply them to conduct a desk-top assessment for a water-related development project.
- Describe the importance of public participation in EIA & SEA and how the roles of stakeholders, experts, regulators and proponents- vary between the two processes.
- Analyse the barriers and drivers that influence the effective integration of EIA & SEA into the planning/project approval process in different contexts, including developing and transition countries.
- Explain the similarities and differences between the EIA & SEA principles and processes, and their application in the water sector, including river basin and natural resource planning and management.
Course Content
- Introduction to environmental assessment for water policies and developments
- Principles of EIA and SEA, and legal and policy framework
- EIA and SEA tools and methods
- Case study (group and individual work): design an appropriate EA approach for a specific case
- Effective integration of EA into the planning/project in developing and transition countries.