A METHOD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT: THE CASE OF THE POLISH REGIONS

Elżbieta Gończ () and Mariusz Kistowski ()
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Elżbieta Gończ: Department of Environmental Protection and Management, Chemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, Str. Wrocławska 129, 81-530 Gdynia, Poland
Mariusz Kistowski: Chair of Physical Geography & Environmental Management, University of Gdańsk, Str. Dmowskiego 16 A, 80-264 Gdańsk, Poland

Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management (JEAPM), 2004, vol. 06, issue 04, 493-509

Abstract: Integrated planning for regional development is relatively new in Poland, following the reform of the territorial administration in 1999. The strategic plans now produced by the regional parliaments are crucial research documents, particularly for their orientation to environmental and regional sustainable development objectives. This research developed and tested an assessment framework of issues for each regional plan. This was framed first in terms of internal regional objectives, and second in terms of their role in national level plans and policies. Such vertical integration of planning systems is a major challenge for European multi-level systems of governance. The assessment framework uses a system of indicators and indices, comparing regional versus national conditions and trends, based on a simple rational/maximal model. The methodology was designed to be transferable to other territorial levels, and may become a practical tool for evaluation of structural funding in similar regions across the EU. The methodology will benefit from further enhancements, in particular for the indicator set used for the 2000–2010 regional sustainable development model. However, at this stage in the development of Polish strategic planning, it aims to provide a starting point for sustainability impact assessment of all major policy proposals, in the spirit of the Göteborg principles for European sustainable development.

Keywords: Environmental sustainability; regional strategies appraisal; strategic environmental assessment (SEA); integrated assessment practice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004
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DOI: 10.1142/S1464333204001808

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