Heinrich Boell Foundation’s Palestine & Jordan Office held the first training of its kind in Palestine on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), in the three first days of August 2016. Seventeen enthusiastic participants, two of them from Gaza, attended the training, which was delivered by Dr. Suha al-Madbouh.
SEA is an environmental assessment done at a high strategic level of decision- making (i.e., at the PPP level). In more scientific words, it is a systematic, decision aiding procedure for evaluating the likely significant environmental effects of a policy, plan, or program (PPP) through their development process and beginning at the earliest opportunity. It involves evaluation and analysis processes, reporting and recommendation of sustainable measures to mitigate adverse environmental and socio-economic impacts of the PPP, and consideration of the findings in the decision-making processes (i.e., adjustment). The involvement of the stakeholders and the public from the very beginning and throughout the whole SEA process is fundamental. Accordingly, SEA aims mainly at integrating environmental considerations into the policies, plans, and programs and evaluating the inter-linkages with economic and social considerations.
The skilled instructor, Dr. Al-Madbouh, was able to turn the training into a pleasant and fruitful experience, engaging each and every one of the participants, through lectures, exercises, and case studies. The lectures provided theoretical and conceptual explanations of different aspects related to approaches, applications, legal frameworks, and methodology of SEA. Exercises were used during the lectures to apply various aspects associated with the practical process, terminology, and methods of performing SEA. Finally, different case studies were discussed and analysed.
"I would like to thank the Heinrich Böll Foundation for organizing the SEA Training and for giving me the opportunity to be part of it" says Ureib Ahmad. "It was a very well organized and high quality training, thanks to Dr. Suha. I look forward to take part in future trainings".
Dr. al-Madbouh is a Lecturer at Cologne University of Applied Sciences, with the degree of Doctor of Public Health (Dr.PH) from Bielefeld University/ Germany in 2014 with an evaluation of “sehr gut”. She obtained her master degree in Environmental Health from the American University of Beirut (AUB)/ Lebanon in 2006. Currently, she is a visiting lecturer and academic supervisor at the Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ITT)/ Cologne University of Applied Sciences. She also works as a freelance Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Trainer. Previously, she worked as a project coordinator for different health and environmental projects in the West Bank implemented by the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Ramallah Municipality, al-Quds University, and Medecins Du Monde Greece.
hbs was hoping for a sizable participation from Gaza, however, only two participants were able to attend, as the others were not granted the needed permits which are issued by the Israeli Authorities. Yet, all participants found it useful and informing. Here's what another participant, Nourah Sammar, had to say:
"I would like to thank you for coordinating for such a lovely environment for our SEA training,. Moreover, I would like to express my appreciation for Heinrich Böll Stiftung for the great opportunity to participate in the training".
