Prostorno planiranje u Primorsko-goranskoj županiji - zavod pgz ...

174SummaryDr. sc. Koraljka VAHTAR-JURKOVIĆAPPLICATION OF NEW INSTRUMENTS OF ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTION IN PHYSICAL PLANNING – STRATEGICENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTEnvironmental protection in physical planning began to develop in the 1970s and 1980s within thefield of physical plans and studies. Over time, the number of instruments of protection availablehas increased, and the processes have become more complex. One of the main issues is theprinciple of prevention, which can be achieved through environmental assessment. Anenvironmental study for a planned intervention at a certain location can reveal the possiblenegative influences of such intervention and propose appropriate protection measures and anenvironmental monitoring programme. We have also made a qualitative shift in the developmentof physical plans, especially in regard to the development of the physical plan for the County ofPrimorje and Gorski kotar that was adopted in 2000. This plan defined valuable parts of theenvironment and natural and cultural heritage on the basis of numerous specialist studies, anddetermined capacities of the environment as the basis for its optimal use. Over the last fifteenyears, many laws and by-laws have been adopted in the field of environmental protection, andnew instruments have been introduced, such as the Strategic Environmental Assessment. Itsmain objective is to assess any significant environmental impact that could result from theimplementation of a document (plan or programme) in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fishing,energy, industry, mining, transport, telecommunications, tourism, waste management, andwater management, as well as physical plans of individual counties. Since the StrategicEnvironmental Assessment is performed in the early phase of developing a plan or programme,and since it evaluates various solutions with regard to their possible negative environmentalimpacts, it enables better decision-making. Particularly important is participation of the public inall phases of the procedure. In the development of the new physical plan for the County ofPrimorje and Gorski kotar, the Strategic Environmental Assessment will be implemented for thefirst time ever across the area of the county.Keywords:environmental protection, physical planning, strategic environmental assessment, County ofPrimorje and Gorski kotar