Integrating low-carbon development issues into strategic environmental assessment: insights from Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Proper integration of low-carbon development (LCD) considerations into policies, plans and programmes (PPPs) using strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is increasingly considered crucial to achieving sustainable development. However, there is little empirical evidence, especially from the developing world, on whether and how SEA is accomplishing this task. This paper analyses five case SEA reports of plans and programmes in Tanzania using a multi-case study design. The aim is to understand how the integration of LCD considerations has played out in practice. A report evaluation framework defined by five review areas and twenty four review questions was used to evaluate the quality of the SEA reports. The results reveal that the integration is patchy across the five cases, with serious deficiencies in conceptualization, scientific assessments, guidelines for implementation, monitoring and follow-up mechanisms and public participation. The average SEA report quality score is 21.6 out of 50 points. The low performance is evidence of a missing link between climate policy and regional/sectoral development planning supported by SEA in Tanzania, reinforcing the urgent need for improvement. Lessons from the Tanzanian cases are broadly relevant for addressing LCD opportunities and challenges in other developing countries.

KEYWORDS:

• Low-carbon development
• strategic environmental assessment
• sustainable development
• multi-case study design
• SEA report

Acknowledgements

Funding from the University of Dodoma is acknowledged. The authors also acknowledge the editor and three anonymous reviewers, whose comments and suggestions greatly improved this paper’s quality.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Dodoma.

Notes on contributors

Amani G. Rweyendela

Mr Amani G. Rweyendela is a PhD student studying Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the University of Dares Salaam's Institute of Resources Assessment. He is also a Lecturer at the University of Dodoma's Environmental Engineering and Management Department. His areas of research interest are environmental assessment, climate change, corporate environmental management, and industrial ecology.

Noah M. Pauline

Dr Noah M. Pauline is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Institute of Resources Assessment (IRA). He is an environmental scientist and holds a PhD in Geography (Climate Change Adaptation). He has over 15 years of experience in consulting and research in Eastern and Southern African countries. His areas of interest in research and consultancy are environmental management, natural resources management and climate change adaptation/mitigation.

Godwin A. Lema

Dr Godwin A. Lema is a Lecturer at the Department of Geography College of Social Sciences University of Dar es Salaam. He specialises in Tourism and Leisure Education and Research and holds PhD with an interest in tourism geographies. He is an expert in environmental assessment and an affiliate member of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA). His research interests include Environmental Assessment and Climate Change, Project Appraisal, Strategic Project Management, energy research and political ecology of tourism.