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Module 2.3 Thematic vs. sectoral breakdown
5 Given the now widely recognized close coupling of the environment with economic and social

development, IEA analysis must cover an ever growing circle of issues that used to be regarded as

marginal to environmental reporting.

9-12 December, 2013 Broadening the focus brings with it questions concerning the way environmental themes and
issues could be analysed. Ultimately, the environment is one unit, even if with many components

and processes, and any thematic or sectoral division should serve only to simplify the analysis and
communication.

In a more traditional approach, the analysis is organized around environmental themes (e.g.,

water, air). From the perspective of policy, however, environmental problems under different
themes often intersect with the same set of socio-economic processes or policies. Development
of the transportation infrastructure, for instance, has implications for land cover, water quality
and biodiversity. Such impacts would appear fragmented if the analysis were structured around
environmental themes. So, from one point of view, analysing environmental implications of the

sector would be more practical/strategic.

However, using a sectoral approach, for example, transport, energy, agriculture, may result in fragmenting
the environmental picture. Pressures on water quality, for example, may need to be addressed under

agriculture, energy and municipal water supply.

Although we have presented sectoral and thematic approaches as two distinctly different alternatives
in this module, there are ways to combine the two, depending on the environmental problems and

information needs of your country or region. Before starting an actual IEA Analysis, your core group
should have analysed its assessment needs, and agreed on a clear set of the objectives and goals
for the process (see Module 3 for more detail). In developing a consensus on a context for the
IEA, it is important to keep in mind that it is not possible to cover all aspects of the environment in

one assessment or reporting process. Further, environmental assessment and monitoring should be
conducted in a continuous cycle. There is a mix of both thematic and sectoral reporting with different
frequencies (e.g., larger overall IEA reports every five years and shorter, sectoral or indicator-based
reports annually).

With use of the Internet becoming more widespread, some aspects of IEA reporting also become
ongoing rather than a cyclical, stop-go process. For instance, updates on specific indicators can be
published on IEA websites and databases as new data become available, without waiting for the next
IEA report cycle.

14 Integrated Analysis of Environmental Trends and Policies