Teaching environmental assessment and management related degrees in Hong Kong:

similarities and differences with Europe

Olivia BinaResearch Fellow, Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon

Adjunct Assistant Professor, GRM, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

TwoEAM project - Seminar

http://www.twoeam-eu.net/Nankai University, Tianjin, 20-21 March 2010

• The disciplinary and contextual outlook(s)

• Choosing the aim and objectives• Feedback (good, bad and exciting)• Some reflections: similarities and

differences

Two-EAM seminar (21-22/3/10) Bina – ICS-UL and CUHK 2

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The disciplinary & contextual outlook(s)

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Political sciences

Geography – resource managementGeography - human

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Industrialised, wealthy

Developing

Space occupied by same number of people in cars, in a bus, and on bicycles

Demonstration on main street of Muenster how much space cars take compared to buses or bikes to transport the same number of people (after Pucher)

Source: Lex Brown 20096

HYDRO POWER, IRRIGATIONNIGER BASIN

SEA course Bina-CUHK 7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mali.A2001291.1045.250m.jpg

Source: Lex Brown 2009

TRANSPORTATIONMOBILITY

Bangkok

SEA Course 8

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

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Society

Environment

Economy

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Man Nature

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experts Gov.orgso

ciety

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Choosing the aim and objectives

Introduction• The course on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

provides students with the opportunity to focus on a specific instrument for environmental governance and better resource management by government agencies.

• SEA is one of the most important new governance mechanisms of the last decade. It is widely used across the world and is considered especially important for the future sustainability of China’s development trajectory.

• The course will explore the theory, methods and practice of SEA, with reference to a range of academic and policy literature, as well as case study material and a field trip introducing SEA practice in HK.

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Course objectives

• Explore in depth the tensions between environment and development through the practice of assessment by government agencies;

• Understand the link between data, information and the process of decision-making that leads to planning development (focus on government planning);

• Understand the importance of concepts and terms such as environment and sustainability in the context of good governance.

• Learn how to design a basic SEA process.

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Cour

se o

utlin

eFrom EIA to SEA: sustainability and governance issues

Introduction: The purpose of EA and ‘S’EA

Procedures, processes and the quest for integration

Procedures, processes and the quest for integration

Methods and tools

Cooperation, consultation and public participation

Effectiveness

SEA, Integrated assessment and SA

Field trip – HK Government

Examples

The use of knowledge in assessment

Public participation – European case and SEA Review

T1 guidance docs

Essay title

T2 HK

T3 HK

NOTE 500 WORDS

HK EPD

T4 + Essay titles

The use of knowledge in assessment

• Environment and development• Sustainable development (SA and SEA)• Ecosystem services (and development/poverty)• Conflict (values and interests)• The PPP+p myth• Participatory processes (knowledge and power)• Integrated approach (and IA)

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Feedback (good, bad and exciting)

Which aspects of the course do you like most?

• Understand more about the linkage between the environmental assessment and the politics.

• Visiting the EPD Board members helps us to realize the actual process in SEA

• The field trip• Provoking lectures• Interactions in the class• Students were encouraged to voice out opinions.• The uniqueness of the topic. It is the only course for

SEA. It is very new for students.18

Which aspects of the course could be improved?

• How exactly does an SEA happen? It seems a little too theoretical now.

• Better to relate more to HK’s situation.

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Students final comments

• Your courses have broaden my perspectives and made me realize the very multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies…

• …have changed the way in which I understand, view and relate to the world. More importantly, they stimulated me to think, and to think critically…

• I have come to realized that complexity is an undeniable reality in every aspect of life, and it is complexity that makes thing interesting…

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READING

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Some reflections: similarities and differences

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Disciplines &

Context

Integration‘of everything

into everything else’

Practice &Theory Wealthy &

DevelopingMan &Nature

EA-M:Assessing impacts

&Promoting

governanceEffectiveness

World Energy Bina - GRM 24

thank you!