Decisional environment values as the object of analysis for strategic environmental assessment

Abstract

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is intended to go beyond the assessment of the likely environmental consequences of specific projects. However, SEA relies formally on a conceptual and methodological background that is centred on the analysis of likely environmental impacts of decisions related to policies, plans and programmes. This paper attempts to find a common theoretical denominator for the different demands placed on SEA when it is imposed on a case study. The concept of decisional environment values (DEVs) is the suggested approach: DEV is defined here as an objective entity that could constitute the study object of environmental assessment. © 2002 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.