EIA

SEA

For projects

For policies, plans and programmes

Takes place at the end of decision-making cycle

Takes place at earlier stages of decision-making cycle

Reactive approach to development proposal

Pro-active approach to developmental proposals

Identifies specific impacts on the environment

Identifies environmental implications on issues of sustainable development

Assess the effect of a proposed development on the environment

Assess the effect of the environment on development needs and opportunities

Considers limited number of feasible alternatives

Considers broad range of potential alternatives

Treats symptoms of environmental deterioration

Pursues the roots of environmental impacts

Limited review of cumulative effects

Early warning of cumulative impacts

Emphasis on mitigating and minimizing impacts

Emphasis on meeting environmental impacts objectives, maintaining natural systems

Narrow perspective, high level of detail

Broad perspective, lower level of detail to provide a vision and overall framework

Well-defined process, clear beginning and end

Multi-stage process, overlapping components, policy level is continuing iterative

Focuses on standard agenda, treats symptoms of environmental deterioration

Focuses on sustainability agenda, gets at sources of environmental deterioration

Responsibility and finance of proponent

Responsibility and finance of the government