Untapping the potential of technological advancements in Strategic Environmental Assessment

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) requires the simultaneous assessment of multiple considerations to identify and mitigate any significant adverse effects on the environment resulting from plan/programme/policy implementation. In order to do this and support decision-making for sustainable development, it relies on sound and scientifically verifiable data from a variety of sources and on analytical tools to identify patterns and predict changes in the data. The advent of big data and technological advancements are highly relevant to SEA, given their potential to enhance the evidence-base, better assess, anticipate and communicate environmental effects and advance overall SEA practice. This review article explores the opportunities for an increased use of smart technologies and approaches in SEA, and proposes an operational framework for smartening SEA. It concludes by identifying a number of new research areas for exploring untapped opportunities in SEA.