Project Description
This pilot Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) project was designed to showcase the advantages of integrating biodiversity considerations into Vietnam Electricity’s (EVN) hydropower planning process. The project aimed to address the limitations of traditional Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), particularly its reactive and site-specific nature, by applying SEA at the program level. This approach allowed for earlier intervention, broader strategic influence on hydropower planning, and more efficient use of resources and technical expertise to safeguard biodiversity.
Objectives, Activities and Results
The study had five main objectives: to assess the biodiversity impacts of EVN’s proposed hydropower plan, identify and evaluate mitigation and management strategies, pinpoint the institutional and technical capacities needed for implementation, highlight information gaps for future site-specific planning, and develop standards and methodologies for biodiversity assessment. By achieving these objectives, the SEA demonstrated how a program-level assessment can effectively shape hydropower planning toward more sustainable, biodiversity-sensitive outcomes and lay a foundation for improved national biodiversity knowledge and planning practices.
