Strategic Environmental Assessment For Ecosystem Management In Coastal Areas

Coastal zones, as a heartland of human activities around the world, are characterized by multiple and plentiful natural resources, and special geographical locations. While the rapid growth of both population and economy in coastal zones, the coastal ecosystems are brought to increasing pressures. The issues of resources exhaustion, ecosystems deterioration and environmental pollution have become increasingly serious. Previous research and practice results indicate that the fundamental resolution is to scientifically assess the environmental impacts of human activities at the earliest stage so that the environmental considerations can be integrated into decision-making process. Therefore, it is very important theoretically and practically for integrated coastal management (ICM) and sustainable development in coastal zones to study strategic environmental assessment (SEA).This dissertation presents a systematic study of the theoretical foundation for strategic environmental assessment, and then develops the contents and methodologies for coastal strategic environmental assessment using multidisciplinary theories and methodologies, including environmental science, ecological science, resources science, oceanography, geography, economics, and policy science. Combining normative analysis with positive analysis, this study contributes to the literatures on environmental assessment and coastal management research in following ways.First, the evolvement of environmental impact assessment (EIA) is summarized, then it is focused on the reviews of strategic environmental assessment, including its emergence and development, definitions and terms, legislations and guidelines, theories and practices, principles and methods, and existing questions or deficiencies of previous studies. Second, the theoretical foundation of strategic environmental assessment is presented. Although there are several different understandings regarding the theoretical foundation of strategic environmental assessment, none of them is scientific and systematic. Strategic environmental assessment is described as an instrument of ecosystem management by the analysis of its executants and objects, purposes and standards, contents and methodologies; therefore, it should be established based on the theories of ecosystem management (EM).Third, the meanings of ecosystem management are analyzed, and then its theoretical components are presented covering the theories of complex ecosystem, sustainable development, environmental economics, and policy science. Then, eight principles of strategic environmental assessment for ecosystem management, which shall determine its contents, methodologies and procedures, are presented according to the ecosystem characteristics and the tenets of ecosystem management. These principles are categorized to content ones and operating ones, comprising"start at the earliest stage"(timing) principle, interative principle, tiering principle, comprehensive principle, conservation principle, precautionary principle, cost-effective principle and participative principle.