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SEA Guidance Annex 26

SEA Guidance Annex 26

Key decisions and key issues in an SEA for multi-sector plans relevant to energy interests

Annex 26 describes several categories of multi-sector plans—economic corridors, river basin plans, national spatial and development plans, special economic zones, marine spatial plans, and coastal zone management plans—and outlines the types of decisions they include. It also explains how SEA helps identify cumulative effects, clarify trade-offs, and support more integrated decision-making across sectors.

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International Economic Corridors

Key Decisions

  • Infrastructure development for transportation and trade (including energy)
  • Priority sectors/industries (all need energy supply)
  • Harmonization of regulations and procedures for cross-border trade and investment
  • Strategies for engaging the private sector, including energy sector

Key Issues in SEA

  • Spatial delineation of alternative energy infrastructure corridors
  • Arrangements/coordination for environmental monitoring
  • Ensure benefits for all segments of society, including access to energy
  • Promote sustainable practices and mitigate environmental degradation
  • Climate and geopolitical vulnerabilities and risk

International River Basin Plans

Key Decisions

  • Water allocation (including for hydropower and power plant cooling) to up- and downstream countries
  • Water rights and allocation mechanisms to prevent conflicts and promote cooperation.
  • Adopt an IWRM approach that considers land, water, and related resources.
  • Legal/institutional frameworks for cooperation and conflict resolution among riparian countries.

Key Issues in SEA

  • Strategies to adapt to climate change; early warning systems for floods and droughts in support of hydropower and other water dependent sectors.
  • Protecting and restoring aquatic and riparian ecosystems for optimal water storage and flood control; maintaining sufficient flow in support of healthy ecosystems.
  • Establish frameworks for monitoring and data sharing among basin countries.

National Spatial Plans

Examples: Namibia Integrated Land Use Plans & SEA; South Africa Wind and Solar Spatial Plan (Annex 32)

Key Decisions

  • Zoning of land use, including areas needed for energy production and energy transmission corridors.
  • Mixed-use developments and their energy supply
  • Transportation planning (multi-modal, motorized and non-motorized) and type of energy used
  • Utility infrastructure (water, communication networks).

Key Issues in SEA

  • Sustainable resource management (water, energy, raw materials)
  • Conservation of high biodiversity areas delivering critical ecosystem services.
  • Green multipurpose infrastructure (e.g., green spaces, corridors, or buffer zones).
  • Climate risks and vulnerability
  • GHG emissions reduction
  • Promote nature-based solutions for resilience

National Development Plans

Key Decisions

  • Goals on economic growth, social equity, and environmental sustainability, directly link to energy
  • Inventory and development potential of energy resources.
  • Priorities for infrastructure projects
  • Planning for the provision of social services

Key Issues in SEA

  • Reduced carbon sequestration by loss of biodiversity.
  • Air, water, and land pollution, including GHG emissions
  • Overexploitation and degradation of natural resources (water, soils, biomass)
  • Application of circular economy principles (opportunities for biogas technology)

Special Economic Zones

Key Decisions

  • Location: proximity to power supply
  • Type of SEZ and energy requirements
  • Infrastructure development (transport, energy)
  • Regulations: taxation, customs duties.
  • Public-private partnerships

Key Issues in SEA

  • Environmental regulations, sustainable planning, enforcement, and monitoring.
  • Investment in green technologies.
  • Social issues: health, forced displacement
  • Circular economy principles for industrial production to avoid pollution, solid waste, GHG emissions, and resource depletion.
  • Greening of energy supply

River Basin Management Plans

Examples: Rwanda Integrated Catchment Plan & SEA (Annex 33); India Hydropower Planning in Upper Ganges Basin (Annex 34)

Key Decisions

  • Water allocation (hydropower, cooling)
  • Governance, institutional coordination (Gov, private, NGO),
  • Legislative measures
  • Climate adaptation and resilience (storage, flood defense, drought)
  • Type and location of (stored) hydropower facilities
  • Targets and actions for water quality

Key Issues in SEA

  • Drivers of change (economic development, population increase, resource use, etc.)
  • Cumulative impacts of existing and planned activities, up- and downstream
  • Climate vulnerability (rainfall, hydrology, erosion, sea level rise)
  • Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation
  • Habitat restoration, species conservation, and invasive species control

Marine Spatial Plans

Example: Ireland Maritime Spatial Plan (Annex 35)

Key Decisions

  • Zoning for specific uses such as conservation, fishing, shipping, wind power, and oil and gas exploitation.
  • Coordinating with other policy domains to address land-based problems (pollution, plastics, eutrophication, sediments)

Key Issues in SEA

  • Interference with pathways of migratory birds and bats
  • Interference with other uses (fisheries, shipping, etc.)
  • Sensitive/no-go areas (level of protection)

Coastal Zone Management Plans

Example: Kenya SEA for Tana Delta Land Use Plan

Key Decisions

  • Protect coastal communities, infrastructure, and natural habitats from hazards (erosion, flooding, storm surges, sea-level rise, tsunamis).
  • Land use planning balances economic activities, habitat conservation, and hazard mitigation.
  • Adapt to climate change

Key Issues in SEA

  • Preserving and restoring coastal ecosystems is vital for maintaining biodiversity, resilience to climate change, and ecosystem services.
  • Address land-based emissions from industry, agriculture, and urban areas to reduce water pollution in coastal areas (pollutants; plastics).

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