Integrating low-carbon development issues into strategic environmental assessment: insights from Tanzania

ABSTRACT Proper integration of low-carbon development (LCD) considerations into policies, plans and programmes (PPPs) using strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is increasingly considered crucial to achieving sustainable development. However, there is little empirical evidence, especially from the developing world, on whether and how SEA is accomplishing this task. This paper analyses five case SEA reports of plans and programmes in Tanzania using a multi-case study design. The aim is to understand how the integration of LCD considerations has played out in practice. A report evaluation framework defined by five review areas and twenty four review questions was used to evaluate the quality of the SEA reports. The results reveal that the integration is patchy across the five cases, with serious deficiencies in conceptualization, scientific assessments, guidelines for implementation, monitoring and follow-up mechanisms and public participation. The average SEA report quality score is 21.6 out of 50 points. The low performance is evidence of a missing link between climate policy and regional/sectoral development planning supported by SEA in Tanzania, reinforcing the urgent need for improvement. Lessons from the Tanzanian cases are broadly relevant for addressing LCD opportunities and challenges in other developing countries.