TwoEAM project - Seminar
http://www.twoeam-eu.net/
Nankai University, Tianjin, 20-21 March 2010
Teaching environmental assessment and
management related degrees in Hong Kong:
similarities and differences with Europe
Olivia Bina
Research Fellow, Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon
Adjunct Assistant Professor, GRM, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• 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
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The disciplinary & contextual
outlook(s)
3
Geography – resource management
Geography - human
Political sciences
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Industrialised, wealthy
Developing
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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 2009
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HYDRO POWER, IRRIGATION
NIGER BASIN
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mali.A2001291.1045.250m.jpg
Bina-CUHK
SEA course
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Bangkok
TRANSPORTATION
MOBILITY
Source: Lex
Brown 2009
SEA Course
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Society
Economy
Environment
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
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Man
Nature
10
society
experts
Gov.org
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Choosing the aim and objectives
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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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Introduction: The purpose of EA and ‘S’EA
Course outline
From EIA to SEA: sustainability and governance issues
Procedures, processes and the quest for integration
T1 guidance docs
Procedures, processes and the quest for integration
Essay title
Methods and tools
T2 HK
Cooperation, consultation and public participation
T3 HK
Public participation – European case and SEA Review
Field trip – HK Government
HK EPD
SEA, Integrated assessment and SA
NOTE 500 WORDS
The use of knowledge in assessment
T4 + Essay titles
Examples
Effectiveness
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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)
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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.
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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
Man &
Nature
Effectiveness
Wealthy &
Developing
EA-M:
Assessing impacts
&
Promoting
governance
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thank you!
World Energy
Bina - GRM
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