Improving Sustainability of Programmes in Strategic Environmental Assessment Procedures: the QUAlitative Structural Approach for Ranking (QUASAR) the Environmental Effects.

Abstract

Environmental sustainability is grounded on sustainable tools of planning and programming. In turns, environmental sustainability of plans and programs is ensured by Strategic Environmental Assessment. The Strategic Environmental Assessment differs from the Environmental Impact Assessment in that a quantitative environmental assessment of plans or programs is often not possible. A qualitative approach for the assessment of environmental effects and for the ranking of different possible choices and scenarios of sustainability, the QUAlitative Structural Approach for Ranking (QUASAR), is presented as follows, for the first time. This approach is based on the parameterization of the characteristics of each potential interaction between the plan or program and its natural environment.

QUASAR makes it possible to quantify the effects on a previously determined scale of values, making the assessment of the sustainable development paths reproducible and not depending on the evaluator. We described the application of the QUASAR approach to a real case study, the Cross Border cooperation Program Italy - Albania Montenegro 2014-2020, showing it is functioning for a objective and repeatable assessment of effects as well for the comparison of different scenarios of development, based here on different allocation of financial resources.

 Keywords: Sustainable development; Strategic environmental assessment; Methodology for the assessment of environmental effects