Integrating strategic environmental assessment into spatial planning in Egypt

Like most developing countries, Egypt has been undergoing rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. Recently, Egypt is progressing in many planning sectors; nevertheless, it is argued that there have been many undesired effects on the environment resulted from these development processes. In fact, it could be said that development processes, as a result of national policy over the past three decades, have been associated with the extensive exploitation of natural resources for urban growth. Since sustainable development or sustainability has been highlighted as an essential principle in development planning, it is deemed necessary to modify the existing planning systems so as to cope with the challenges various developments are being confronted with and realise the purpose of sustainability. Thus, in order for better environmental policy and decision making this paper advocates that SEA is the right way towards achieving more sustainable patterns of development. It is felt that the major contributions of this research are: first, to discuss environmental assessment for urban development PPPs which has to date been neglected by the Egyptian government; Second, to propose a model to incorporate SEA process within the spatial planning process in the country.