On the 18th of July, UN-Habitat’s Municipal Spatial Planning Support Programme (MuSPP), financed by the Swedish Development Corporation, has organized a workshop in Parteš/Partesh on matters regarding the development of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Municipal Development Plan. The workshop included staff from different departments from the Municipality of Parteš/Partesh and UN Habitat/MuSPP.

The SEA will be developed in parallel to the Municipal Development Plan, as required by Kosovo Law. International SEA consultant Davide Geneletti, introduced to the attendees of the workshop the overall aim of the SEA as a “process aimed at integrating environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans. Its ultimate purpose is to provide for a high level of protection of the environment.” He also added that SEA “involves stakeholders and the public through participation and communication strategies”; just like the workshop held. He also took a few examples such as site selection and compensation measures regarding the environment, and compared it to the environment of Parteš/Partesh. The SEA will aim to avoid negative environmental impacts and to enhance positive effects, and will also propose certain measures to balance the negative impacts of any proposed action from the MDP on the environment.

After the introduction to SEA, Mr. Geneletti stated twelve main municipal environmental objectives to be considered in the SEA. The areas included water, quality of life, soil, nature and biodiversity, natural and man-induced hazards, and energy and climate change. The staff of the Municipality agreed upon these objectives and all believed that all are relevant to the MDP and to the development of the SEA report. All the attendees agreed that in order for the MDP to achieve these objectives it is important to raise environmental protection awareness; activities can range from meetings, workshops or seminars to discuss the present environmental issues and how to mitigate them. They also stated that in order to prevent sprawl within the settlement, regulations over the quality of soil should be taken in consideration to protect those areas.