Sustainability Impact Assessment: Tools for Environmental, Social and Econonomic Effects of Multifunctional Land Use in European Regions (SENSOR-IP)

The aim of land use policies on the European level is to support regional rural development and social cohesion, and to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. In order to do so, policy makers require tools that allow an assessment of potential impacts of land use policies on all sectors. EU has invested substantial funding in the development of a suite of computer-based models to support policy-making for different sectors and at different strategic levels and spatial scales. One of the most innovative and ambitious of these initiatives is ‘SENSOR’, with the aim of developping ‘Sustainability Impact Assessment Tools’ (‘SIAT’) that support ex ante assessment of new policies on six land use sectors: agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, transport infrastructure, energy and tourism. By integrating cross-sector knowledge at a European level, the project will provide decision makers with scientifically sound information on regional impacts of land uses changes and policy effects on sustainable development. The project is based on three key assessment streams: 1.European-wide, indicator-based driving force and impact analysis of land use policy scenarios, 2.region specific problem, risk and threshold assessment making use of spatial reference systems, land use functions and participatory processes, 3.case study based, exemplary sensitive area studies in mountains, islands, coastal zones, post-industrial areas using detailed information on specific sustainability issues, and engaging with stakeholders at the local level. For each policy area, the outputs of the tool are being validated with local stakeholders in six regions throughout Europe, and a methodology for future stakeholder engagement is being developed for use alongside the tool. As additional policy areas become modelled within SIAT, it will be of value to an increasing range of policymakers as a decision-support tool, but also as a ‘discussion-support’ tool by providing a common platform for critical engagement between policymakers and stakeholders. In doing so, SIAT may help to identify potential conflicts between interest groups, and resolve them at the policymaking stage rather than 10 years down the line.