Environmental planning
- Protected area management & policy
- Formulation of guidelines, policies & action plans
- Compliance with legislation & limitation of liabilities
Capabilities
Environmental planning has formed the core of ERA work since establishment 15 years ago. Much of this work has focused on development of plans and strategies for protected areas, especially in Antarctica, and extractives development, especially in Africa. This has involved working on scientific and technical issues together with field scientists, logistics personnel, environmental managers, NGOs, local & international agencies, governments and management. Usually, ERA drafts environmental policies or advice through this collaborative approach, which enables clients to weigh up their policy options. ERA often manages consultation processes among stakeholders, enabling policies to be further developed and refined. Environmental assessments, plans and advice are then provided to decision-makers in a form that enables clear evaluation of the benefits or disadvantages of available options. Some issues can be sensitive or potentially controversial, so ERA places emphasis on strong scientific underpinnings, and pays a lot of attention to careful and detailed analyses of issues and policies well in advance of offering alternatives for consideration.
Of necessity, the decision on which policies are taken forward remains the responsibility of the client. It is notable, however, that every environmental plan that ERA has developed for its Antarctic clients has been adopted internationally by consensus without any significant modifications. ERA staff have worked on the management plans for around half of the protected areas adopted by the Antarctic Treaty, and this record demonstrates the reliability of the advice and products that ERA is able to offer.
Environmental policy work is usually coupled with map development. Maps are designed specifically to support the environmental plans, and enable users to interpret policies and features easily - whether in the field, at the international diplomatic table, or in the boardroom!
ERA would be pleased to discuss whether we can assist you with needs you might have in this field.
