Integrating Environmental Assessment and the Spatial Planning Process

Lone Kørnøv 

This concise report explores effective integration of environmental assessment tools—specifically Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)—within spatial planning frameworks. Published under the BioValue initiative, it examines how seamless alignment of these instruments can significantly improve biodiversity outcomes.

The report outlines:

• Conceptual foundations of SEA and EIA in planning contexts.
• Process integration models, showing how assessments can be woven into decision-making cycles.
• Practical guiding principles aimed at enhancing coordination between environmental and planning authorities.
• Illustrative examples, drawn from real-world planning scenarios, that demonstrate how integrated assessment boosts biodiversity protection.
• Recommendations, offering insights for policy-makers, planners, and consultants to operationalize integrated assessment practices.

This resource is ideal for professionals and academics involved in environmental governance and spatial planning:

• Policy developers can use its recommendations to craft frameworks that mandate assessment-planning integration.
• Planners and consultants may adopt its principles to structure assessment workflows more effectively.
• Research and training institutions can rely on it as a case-based teaching tool to exemplify best practices in environmental integration.

Biodiversity practitioners will find value in the mechanism to align SEA/EIA with spatial development goals.

10.5281/zenodo.15607243