Environmental reviews, often in the form of environmental impact or strategic environmental assessments, play a fundamental role in the process of urban development. They are institutionalized decision-making arrangements in domestic legislation to address the environmental impacts and risks associated with a project. Strengthened environmental and social reviews in urban development processes and their integration into broader decision making frameworks will support the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and several of the Sustainable Development Goals by approving projects which are ecologically sensitive, socially-acceptable, and economically cost-effective.
Six case studies in this book, from Uganda, South Africa, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and the USA, present empirical evidence on the relationship between environmental and development decision-making in the urban context. The cases identify key implementation issues and options to address them efficiently at country and city levels. Building upon this, the work also outlines capacity building needs and coordination approaches that are appropriate to resource poor contexts.
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