This seminar was held as part of the institutional collaboration between the Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg and the World Bank Environment Department. Presenter was Dr Fernando Loayza, Senior specialist in Strategic Environmental Assessment at the World Bank and coordinator of the World Bank pilot program on Institutions Centered SEA.
The full title of the seminar was "The World Bank and the Role of Institutions in Strategic Environmental Assessment – conceptual framework and empirical investigations" Dr Fernando Loayza holds a Ph D in Environmental Science and Policy and has wide experiences from working on environment and development policy in developing countries. Between 1995-97 he served as the Undersecretary for Mining in Bolivia. The Seminar took place: Wednesday October 29, 2008, at the Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Background: Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is viewed by the World Bank as a key approach to integrating environmental considerations in strategic decision making, such as development policy lending and sector reform processes. Recent analytical work conducted by the World Bank suggest that special attention need to be given to institutional and governance aspects in order for environmental assessments to be effective at the policy level. The World Bank has launched a Pilot Program where Institutions Centered SEAs are applied to reform processes in a variety of different sectors (forestry, mining, transport and urban development) and countries (Kenya, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China). The seminar was held as part of the planning of a Masters course on Strategic Environmental Assessment to be given within the Masters program on environment at the School of Business, Economics and Law starting in 2009. Background reports to Fernando Loayza’s presentation: World Bank, 2005. Integrating Environmental Considerations in Policy Formulation: Lessons from Policy-Based SEA Experience. Report 32783,Washington, DC. Link to webpage World Bank, 2008. Strategic Environmental Assessment for Policies – An Instrument for Good Governance, Washington DC. Link to webpage