sea activities and practices in china - world...
TRANSCRIPT
1
Kin-Che LAMCentre of Strategic Environmental Assessment for China
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Special Session on “Review & Challenges of SEA for Development Cooperation”
7th April 2010, IAIA 30th Annual Conference, Geneva
SEA Activities and Practices in China
China – A Large Number of
Practitioners In 2009
• 1,037 authorized EIA consultancy organizations
• 8,450 Accredited EIA “engineers”
• 27,729 EIA practitioners
China – Produces a large number of
EIA/SEA Reports Every Year
2003 – 2008: more than 80 Plan EIA done
Ministry of Communication
• 29 comprehensive port PEIA
• 20 road network PEIA
Ministry of Railway
• 16 provincial level railway network PEIA
Ministry of Environmental Protection,
• 7 comprehensive urban reconstruction PEIA,
including earthquake stricken Wenchuan City
To Understand Recent
Developments
• State
• Context
• Response
• Effectiveness
Context
PEIA
EIA
State
Context
PEIA
EIA
State
To Understand Recent
Developments
• State
• Context
• Response
• Effectiveness
Rapid & Uneven Growth
Rapid economy growth
• Double digit growth for many years
• 8% in recent financial crisis
• GDP 33,535 billion RMB, 3rd in the world
Regional disparity between …..
• Rich and poor provinces
• Urban and rural areas
• Eastern coastal area and the western interior
Fast Growing Chinese Economy
since 1980
Regional Disparity in GDP
Increasing Mobility and
Motorization
Increasing affluence
boots car ownership
Trend in vehicle
ownership:
• 1990–4.2 million
• 1995–10.05 million
• 2000–20 million
• 2020–140 million
• 20% increase per
annum in cities
Sustainability Challenge 1 –
Resource Scarcity
Severe resource scarcity
• Drinking water: only ¼ of world average level
• Raw oil: only 1/10 of world average
Resource use inefficiency• China contributed 4% to global GDP in 2004
• Share of global resource use
o 47 % cement, 37% cotton, 31% coal, 30% iron
ore, 26% steel, 25% aluminum oxide, 7.4%
petroleum
Uneven Distribution of Water
Resources
Legend:
Colors = aridity index
Lines = precipitation
Black = annual flow
Lowering of Groundwater Table in
North East China
Still continuing
Deteriorating water quality & greater energy subsidy
Seawater
Intrusion
Around
Bohai BayNCPYRB
Seawater
Intrusion
Around
Bohai BayNCPYRB
Seawater Intrusion
Can these go on Forever?
Ma Kai
National Development and Reform
Commission
“Our scarce natural
resources are no longer able
to support the growth in
resources consumption.”
Sustainability Challenge 2 – Acute
Environmental Problems
• Soil erosion: Affects 38.2% of total land area in 1990s
• Desertification – recent sand storm affected Korea, Japan, Taiwan & HK (23 April 2010)
• River pollution: only 46 % met Grade III, 28% met IV, and 26 % met Grade V
Sand Storm – Satellite Picture
April 2000
18 April 2006, Beijing
20
Dust Blown from Beijing to Hong Kong
March 2010
22th March 2010
Source: Standing Committee of the National People's Congress 2006
1/3 of China's water bodies are seriously polluted1/3 of China’s land suffers from acid rainOnly 4.3% of cities meet the primary air quality objective2/3 of large cities in China suffer from water shortage
23
Official Statistics on Total
Arable Land in China (10x8 mu)
17.5
18
18.5
19
19.5
20
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
year
cro
p l
an
d
24
• Arable lands are mostly on low-lying plains
• Which account for 10% of total land area in China
• Which are home to 80% of population
• Arable land decreased by 66,000 km2
between 1998 & 2005
Scale of Recent Developments
• Going West
• Mega-projects
• Road building
• Rail building
1/3 of the petroleum reserve in China
3/4 of natural gas reserve in ChinaThe West has...
27
Going West & Going Uphill:
Venturing into Fragile Ecosystems
Mega Project: West to Eest Gas Pipeline
4,200 km long, traversing 7 provinces
A major project of the 10th 5-year Plan
(2000-2005); completed in 2005
库尔勒
阿克苏
喀什
和田
麦盖提
叶城
于川民丰
且末
若羌
拜城
库车
巴楚
柯克亚
和田河 塔中4
塔中6
塔中16
哈德逊
吉拉克解放渠东
桑塔木
轮南
雅克拉
东河塘
依南2
牙哈羊塔克
英买7玉东2
西
南
坳 陷
塔
南
隆
起
东
南
坳
陷中
央隆
起北 部
坳 陷塔
北
隆起库
车坳 陷
轮台
油田
气田
塔里木盆地油气田分布图
克拉2号
Yangtze R.
丹江口水库
汉江
Beijing
Tianjin
WestMiddle
East
Three Gorge Dam
Mega Project:
China’s South to North Water
Transfers
Source: China National Geographic
Highway Network in China
Highway Building in China
Hi-speed
Railway Network
Source: China National Geographic
China
Total Mileage
Is This Sustainable?
The Price of Economic Growth
Economic loss associated with
pollution estimated to run into
RMB 511.8 trillion or 3.05% of
GDP
Root of Problems
Economic growth vssustainability
Quick returns vslong-term benefits
Societal benefits vssectoral interests Premier Wen Jiabao, April 2006
National Environ Protection Congress
To Understand Recent
Developments
• State
• Context
• Response
• Effectiveness
Need for State Intervention at
Strategic Planning Level
Address regional imbalance
Development and poverty alleviation
Attain national development targets
Ease tensions in government at different
levels
Maintain sustainability
Foster social harmony
37
It is not a Matter of Will, but only
Approach & Instruments
Approach
• Scientific development (discourse in policy formulation)
• SEA as the tool
Instruments
• Strategy
• Policy
• Infrastructure building financed by the state
38
Strategic Decisions To Make
Hierarchy of regional development
• Role differentiation based on regional
strength/weakness (strategic positioning)
• Avoid duplication in function & infrastructure
Infrastructure to make the above happen
• Roads, railway
• Resource allocaiton: energy, water etc
• Fiscal meausres, Investment & trade policies
39
40
National Plan for Urban Systems
Ro
le d
iffe
ren
tia
tio
n &
str
ate
gic
positio
nin
g
42
Regional
Hierarchy &
Integration
43
Land Use of Binhai New
Development Zone, Tianjin
Planning Tradition in China
Tradition of strong central planning – e.g.
5 Year Plans
Target driven society
Plans of many kinds – urban, sectoral,
national, provincial, mega-regions,
municipalities, counties etc.
Well-defined hierarchy - low level plans
must conform with high level ones
Huge benefits in getting the plans right44
Opportunities
5 Year Plans (now drafting 12th FYP)
National targets
• Energy saving, carbon intensity, resource use
efficiency, pollution reduction
Plans of many kinds –
• Urban, national, provincial, municipalities,
counties etc.
• Sectoral plans
45
Examples of Policy SEAs
Challenges
National and Local Interests & Priorities
Policy Outcomes are often “income-
biased”, e.g.
• Water & petrol price
“Tiao-kuai” Institutional Setup
• Vertical – Central-local line of accountability
• Horizontal – Reporting to local government
Complexity of decision-making in a large
country47
To Understand Recent
Developments
• State
• Context
• Response
• Effectiveness
80s
EIA for
projects
90s
Regional EIA
From 2003
EIA for
plans
Promulgation of EIA law
Development of EIA in China
80s
EIA for project
90s
Regional EIA
EIA for plan
Near future
EA for region and developme
nt strategy
From 2003
Development of EA in China
EIA/SEA at a Crossroads ? ? ?
From project EIA to Plan-EIA/SEA
From project to region
80s
EIA for project
90s
Regional EIA
EIA for plan
Near future
EA for region and developme
nt strategy
From 2003
Development of EA in China
From project EIA to Plan-EIA/SEA
From project to region
Promulgation of EIA law
Examples of Plan-EIAs
Provincial socio-econ Plan for 11th Five Yr Plan
Paper Industry for FYP
National Railway Plan
Regional coal-fired power energy plan
Provincial highway plan
Urban rail-based plan
Port master plan
Urban master plan
Regional mining master plan
Plan-EIA is the Natural Starter in
SEA in China Plans in China are more than “plans” – strategies,
policies, directives
Readily applicable to existing institutional set up
Different levels of government (central to local)
Different ministries and line agencies (sectors)
Readily usable assessment tools
Time dimension: 5, 10, 20 years
Hence,
No need to reinvent the wheel
Not to do different things, but to do things differently
53
Drawbacks of New Wine in Old
(EIA) Bottle
Reactive: respond when plans are almost “firmed up”
“Assessment” oriented
Focus on outcome rather than process
Emphasis – is plan good or bad?
Regulatory – many efforts in past 5 year focused on regulations and developing technical guides
Outcome
Resistance/Confrontational
Lack strategic dimension
54
55
China’s SEA legislation and regulation system
Regulations on Technical Guidelines for
Plan-EIA
PEIA technical guideline:• General Principle, fundamental requirements and
principles for all PEIA
• Master Plan for Land Use, specified technical guideline for land use
• Other specified guidelines for different sectors, including urban transport, economic development zone, etc.
Harmonization measure to assure effective implementation in a big country
80s
EIA for project
90s
Regional EIA
EIA for plan
Near future
EA for region and developme
nt strategy
From 2003
Development of EA in China
Recent Developments
From project EIA to Plan-EIA/SEA
From project to region
SEA of Five Mega-regions
Pathway of Development of SEA in
China
From EIA to Regional EIA
Regional to Plan-EIA
SEA of mega-regions
SEA of catachments and catchment development plans ??
SEA of energy sectors, low carbon strategies ??
Context
PEIA
EIA
State
61
SEA, What is the Most Critical
Issue in China?
It is not about• The need for SEA
• The potential role of SEA
• The political will to do SEA
It is about “effectiveness”, in influencing outcome
To Understand Recent
Developments
• State
• Context
• Response
• Effectiveness
63
Effectiveness is About
Capacity to• Identify critical issues
• Define the scope
• Use appropriate approach
Institution to• Ensure SEA is done
• Findings can influence decision making (ownership)
Process• Owner, regulator and SEA practitioners
• Stake-holders
• For Learning and continuous improvement
64
Key Research Areas
Effectiveness Criteria for China SEA• Led by Olivia Bina
• Multi-stage approach
Pathway of SEA Development in China• Currently aligned with the planning process
• Dual track? Top down and bottom up?
Critical decision-points in planning process• When and where?
• How to influence
Centre of SEA for China at CUHK
CUHK - Bridge between East & West
Platform for exchange/collaboration
Multi-language capability and multi-cultural perspective
Capacity building, research and promotion of good practices
China is at a on the Path to
Sustainability
12th 5-Year plan
Low carbon economy – China’s pledge in Helsinki
Circular-economy
SEA is the Tool for Strategic
Planning
Pathway of sustainable development
Regional imbalance (urban – rural, coastal – inland)
China is also at the defining
moment in applying SEA?
• Rapidity of development
• Opportunities
• Constraints
• Potential effects of SEA
10th April, 2010
Kin-che LAM 林健枝 HonFCIWEM, FHKIEIA, MHKIOA, SBS, JP
Email: [email protected]
Acknowledgement:The Chinese University of Hong Kong Focused Investment Scheme 1902041
70
71
SEA, Safeguarding Sustainable
Development for China
Environmental safeguard
Social safeguard (resettlement, benefit sharing, poverty alleviation)
Socio-economic planning in China – say a few words on what they are and their role
72
Competing Demand on the
Role of SEA
Key Players Expectation
Principal Government officers Help achieving SD
Legislators Facilitating more environmental
friendly strategies
Advisors Scientific development
Academics Improve the accountability of planning
and decision-making
Practitioners Harmonious society and SD
7373
Stages in the Pursuit for Effectiveness
74
Why EIA System is Crucial to
China’s Sustainable Development
large country with a complicated administrative structure
In balanced economic and social development between regions, in particular east and west
Tiaokuai structure
Conflicts between the central and local governments
EIA/SEA in China (unlike the West) is not public vsprivate; but more central guiding local govt; and a measure of the (environmental) performance of the local govt (not clearly understood)
75
How to Make Effective SEAs in China?
Improvement rather than reform, recognizing accepting the tradition of the current planning mechanism
No uniformed SEA process, SEA process must be flexible
Identifying environmental priorities
Strengthening institutional capacities, making Institutional adjustment and reconstructing
All stakeholders participate in
Encouraging and strengthening social learning
76
SEA in China is
At a crossroads• legislation to process
• regulator to facilitator
• to guide rather than to ban development
At a defining moment• significant bearing on many people (5 mega-regions,
36% of Chinese population)
• on China’s development and on the world (China is now 1st largest CO2 emitter)
An experiment unprecedented in scale, complexity and implication – it is for the EA profession to demonstrate the worth of SEA !!
林健枝 HonFCIWEM, FHKIEIA, MHKIOA, SBS, JP
80s
EIA for project
90s
Regional EIA
EIA for plan
Near future
EA for region and developme
nt strategy
From 2003
Development of EA in China
EIA/SEA at a Crossroads ? ? ?
From project EIA to Plan-EIA/SEA
From project to region
Drawbacks of New Wine in Old Bottle
Reactive: respond when plans are almost “firmed up”
“Assessment” oriented
Focus on outcome rather than process
Emphasis – is plan good or bad, pass or fail?
Regulatory – most efforts in past 5 year focused on regulations and developing technical guides
Outcome
Reistance/Confrontational
Lack strategic dimension
79
80s
EIA for projects
90s
Regional EIA
EIA for plans
Near future
EA for mega-
region &
development
strategy
From 2003
Development of EA in China
Bottom - upBased on assessmentReactive Regulatory For enterprise/projects
Top down
Guide development
Proactive
Set administrative
framework
Assist governing
80s
EIA for project
90s
Regional EIA
EIA for plan
Near future
EA for mega-
region &
development
strategy
From 2003
Development of EA in China
Bottom - up
Based on assessmentReactive Regulatory For enterprise/projects
Paradigm Change Needed
Function
To inform rather than to veto
To guide rather than to ban
To set a framework for compliance,
“admission” conditions, governing
Process – Looping/iterative rather than
linear
Goal - Political friendliness rather than
merely environmental friendliness82
8383
Road Transport Plan PEIA in China
The current national expressway network plan is not subject PEIA
PEIA applied to provincial level expressway network plan, e.g. Hunan province, Jiangsu province• Provincial communication office, the developer
• Research institutions of MoCs, the consultant
• EIAs for lower level projects are guided by PEIA
Some city have piloted applying PEIA to urban transport plan, e.g. Wuhan city (supported by WB)
84
Shortcomings of SEA Application
in SE Asia (institutional)
Institutional fragmentation, poor cooperation
Opaque planning process and procedure
Poor public and other stakeholder involvement
Poor legal enforcement
SEA is not applied for the environment, but for complying with the legal requirements
85
Shortcomings of SEA Application
in SE Asia (Technical)
Very late SEA start
SEA team is not interdisciplinary
Poor baseline environment study
No alternative options
Poor monitoring and follow-up assessment
Source: Zhou, 2009
Context
PEIA
EIA
State
Context
PEIA
EIA
State
How to Get There?
Alternative Pathways
Evolution & perfection of current Plan-EIA?
Development of a dual system?
Dual System
Formal and informal
Bottom up and Top Down
Within and beyond the “environmental”
realm
88
89
This “guidance” all the more needed at a time when government intervention is gradually giving way to market forces
All these attempts are analogous to “harmonization” of process and procedures in the EU
National planning – 5 yr plans
Development strategy – e.g. Development of West
90
Strategic positioning – guide devt path & avoid duplication, e.g. 5 mega-regions
Policies & strategies – 11th 5-year railway development plan
Resource allocation – Sichuan Dadu River Hydro Power Development Plan
Environmental constraints and opportunities – Bo Hai Region Key Industries Development Plan
91
92
93
94
95
96