ID: 1624
Presenting Author: Dong Oh Ha
Session: 529 - Strategic, Not Generic: The Next Generation of Regional Assessments
Status: pending
This study redefines EA as a sustainable governance institution for SDGs. Through the EA-SD Matrix, it provides theory and guidance to transform EA into a core sustainability governance tool
This study aims to reframe Environmental Assessment (EA) not merely as a procedural safeguard but as a governance-based institution capable of advancing Sustainable Development (SD) in line with the UN SDGs. To achieve this, the research integrates a structured literature review (2015–2024), comparative case study analysis (domestic and international), and the construction of the EA–SD Matrix as a novel analytical framework. The findings demonstrate that EA’s catalytic potential depends on scientific rigor, institutional independence, genuine participation, and explicit alignment with SDGs 13, 15, and 16. Comparative case studies reveal both successful and failed practices, highlighting conditions under which EA strengthens or undermines sustainability outcomes. By introducing the EA–SD Matrix, this study contributes an original theoretical framework and practical guidance for transforming EA into a central instrument of sustainability governance in the era of climate change, biodiversity loss, and social justice. The conceptual framework of this study is summarized in Table 1, which visualizes the intersection between EA functions and the three sustainability dimensions.
Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Urban Engineering, Pusan National University, South Korea.
Coauthor 1: Ju Chul Jung
Coauthor 2: Dalbyul Lee