Program Overview
Go Beyond Project-Level EIA — Master Strategic Environmental Assessment
SEA extends Environmental Impact Assessment upstream — evaluating the environmental consequences of policies, plans, and programmes (PPPs) before decisions are made. This course empowers professionals to contribute to informed, strategic decision-making in support of long-term environmental protection and sustainable development.
SEA is especially relevant for decision-makers, EIA practitioners, planners, regulators, and consultants who work with infrastructure, natural resources, or regional development.
This course extends the aims and principles of EIA upstream to the higher, pre-project level of decision-making. It affords an important new means of analysing and addressing the environmental effects of Policies, Plans, Programmes and other proposed strategic actions. All those involved in EIA practice should have an understanding of SEA – what it is, why it has emerged as an important environmental tool for screening investments and how it contributes to informed decision-making in support of environmental protection and sustainable development.
What You Will Learn
📘 Understand SEA processes, types, and institutional models
🛠️ Apply SEA to real-world PPP decisions
⚖️ Evaluate sustainability and environmental accountability
📜 Comply with Zambia’s SEA legal and policy frameworks
📊 Conduct cost-benefit and performance monitoring of SEA implementation
🌐 Align with international SEA standards and treaties
Course Modules
Module 1: Introduction to Strategic Environmental Assessment
This Modules looks at the rationale and objectives of Strategic Environmental
Assessment (SEA); The procedures and methods that are used to carry out the SEA process, Guiding principles for SEA process in design and implementation, types of SEA systems, Institutional models in SEA systems.
Module 2: Scope and Application of SEA
This module will look at mainstreaming environmental objectives in relation to SEA, list of environmental plans and decisions that are subject to SEA, principles of sustainability decision-making, instituting environmental accountability in sector-specific agencies, greater transparency and openness in decision-making.
Module 3: Regulation and Policies
A generic definition of policies, plans and programmes under SEA in Zambia, SEA Consultation Bodies / Environmental Authorities in Zambia, Statutory requirements with respect to the environmental assessment of plans and programmes, Legislations under Strategic Environmental Assessments.
Module 4: SEA Policy and Decision Making
This module looks at SEA as a tool for sustainable developments that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and aspirations, incorporating sustainability principles into policy-making, plans and programmes under SEA, methodology approaches in Sustainable implementation of SEA, meeting obligations under international environmental agreements.
Module 5: Costing and Monitoring
This module looks at the possible trade-offs and constraints in SEA Pricing, Planning costs, costs and benefits of Strategic Environmental Assessments, Costing tools in SEA, Budgeting of Strategic Environmental Assessments, SEA as a sustainable tool, Types of Monitoring Tools in Strategic Environmental Assessments, Impact mitigation measures.
Who Should Enroll
Environmental officers and waste consultants
Local government planners and engineers
Entrepreneurs and green business innovators
Development agency staff
Researchers and postgraduate students
Ready to lead in strategic environmental governance?
Join the SEA training and start shaping policy through sustainability.