Summary: This leaflet explains how climate change issues can be considered in strategic environmental assessment (SEA), with particular reference to the requirements of European Directive 2001/42/EC (the "SEA Directive"). It explains what climate change impacts are and how they can be described, predicted and addressed.
Filesize: 406 KB
The Earth’s climate has changed many times in the past in response to natural causes. But it has suddenly changed over the last century or so, with global temperature rises and more extreme weather events.
The world’s leading scientists agree that man-made emissions of greenhouse gases – such as carbon dioxide, produced when fossil fuels are burned, and methane – are partly responsible for these changes. Progressive changes in climate are expected even in the absence of future emissions.
But emissions are expected to rise, so we will have to deal with the increasing effects of climate change. We must also do what we can to minimise future emissions.
The SEA Directive requires authorities to assess the likely significant effects of their plans and programmes on "the environment, including on issues such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors”.
These effects should include "secondary, cumulative, synergistic, short, medium and long-term permanent and temporary, positive and negative effects".
"Kifungu hiki kinaelezea jinsi masuala ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa yanaweza kuzingatiwa katika tathmini ya kimkakati ya mazingira (SEA), na kwa kumbukumbu maalum kwa mahitaji ya Maagizo ya Ulaya ya 2001 (SEA Directive).""" Inaelezea nini athari za mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa ni na jinsi wanaweza kuelezwa, kutabiri na kushughulikiwa. Filesize: 406 KB Hali ya hewa ya Dunia imebadilika mara nyingi katika siku za nyuma kwa kukabiliana na sababu za asili. Lakini hali hiyo imebadilika ghafula katika karne iliyopita, na kuongezeka kwa joto duniani na matukio ya hali ya hewa ya kupita kiasi. Wanasayansi mashuhuri ulimwenguni wanakubaliana kwamba uzalishaji wa gesi za chafu - kama vile kaboni dioksidi, inayotokezwa wakati wa kuchoma mafuta ya visukuku, na metani - ni sehemu ya sababu ya mabadiliko haya. Mabadiliko ya hatua kwa hatua katika hali ya hewa yanatarajiwa hata bila uzalishaji wa baadaye. Lakini uzalishaji unatarajiwa kuongezeka, kwa hivyo tutalazimika kukabiliana na athari zinazozidi kuongezeka za mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Lazima pia tufanye kile tunachoweza ili kupunguza uzalishaji wa baadaye. Sera ya SEA inahitaji mamlaka kutathmini athari za uwezekano mkubwa wa mipango na programu zao kwa mazingira, ikiwa ni pamoja na masuala kama vile biodiversity, idadi ya watu, afya ya binadamu, wanyama, mimea, udongo, maji, hewa, mambo ya hali ya hewa, mali ya vifaa, urithi wa kitamaduni ikiwa ni pamoja na urithi wa usanifu na akiolojia, mazingira na uhusiano kati ya mambo ya juu. Athari hizi zinapaswa kujumuisha "athari za sekondari, za jumla, za ushirikiano, za muda mfupi, za kati na za muda mrefu za kudumu na za muda mfupi, chanya na hasi".