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Module 7.1 IEA in the context of other types of assessments
1 Many practices similar to IEA are probably familiar to you; they include state of the environment
(SoE) reporting, environmental impact assessment (EIA), strategic environmental assessment (SEA),
integrated assessment (IA) and others. While these methods all have their niches, they share the need
to turn scientific and technical information into terms that address policy issues and reaches a wide
9-12 December, 2013 The relationship between an IEA and other, similar processes can vary, depending on their purpose and
range of non-expert audiences.
approach. Earlier SoE reporting experience and structures can serve as a basis for IEA. EIAs can help
identify environmental risks and vulnerabilities related to specific projects; those projects might serve,
for instance as case studies to illustrate broader tendencies in an IEA. A SEA can point to the role of
policy in shaping environmental conditions either in the present or in a hypothetical future.
In order to help you reflect on these linkages, we provide a brief review of key aspects of the following
practices:
? SoE reporting
? EIA
? SEA
State of Environment (SoE) Reporting
State of the Environment (SoE) reporting has been largely the responsibility of government, through
departments or ministries mandated to report to parliament, government or to provide information to
the public. Traditional SoE reporting provides information on the environment and trends. It is mainly
focused on the biophysical environment than the pressures humanity exerts on it. This information is
very useful and may be used to analyse trends in key variables of the environment.
? Organizational structure for reporting and governance
? Process design
? Expert and stakeholder participation
? Priority environmental issues and policies covered
? Information sources and tools
? Communication and impact strategies
Environmental assessment reports have been developed for many parts of the world and a selection
is shown in Table 1.
24 The GEO Approach to Integrated Environmental Assessment
