A growing number of countries at all levels of development have legislation or regulations prescribing the application of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) - and many more are introducing it as part of their policy tools. This is creating unique opportunities for better policy making and planning by incorporating environmental considerations into high-level decision-making and opening new mechanisms to build consensus on development priorities within governments themselves and between governments and societies.
Honduras introduced SEA in the planning process of Municipal Development Plans. This exercise started with pilot experiments in 10 municipalities, and is expected to be introduced in other municipalities. Although the outcome of the pilot SEA process was largely positive, developing technical capacity and ensuring financial sustainability still remain as important challenges.
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