SEA as Instrument in Responsible Planning of Tourist Destinations. Case Study of Djerdap National Park, Serbia

Abstract

Recent practice in Serbia has recognized the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as an instrument of control in spatial, urban and environmental planning. Certain sectors have already begun the implementation of SEA in their strategic planning, yet in its late phase only. SEA has indirectly become not just an important instrument of control, but the instrument of coordination of different sector plans/policies with sustainable territorial development as well. SEA in Serbia has an important role in planning the tourist destination development, especially in the special purpose areas, that beside their tourist potential have a significant development limitation –the necessity to preserve and protect their natural and cultural heritage. This paper analyzes recent theoretical framework of SEA in special purpose areas, focusing the research on the case study of multi-criteria analysis of environmental parameters in Djerdap National Park, situated in Eastern Serbia. It presents new analytic methodologies (GIS-oriented expert multi-criteria analysis), and determines the measures for and the system of monitoring the environmental parameters. The paper also emphasizes the role of SEA in the responsible planning in Serbia and the obstacles it encounters, due to the lack of strong methodology and an inadequate implementation of laws and strategies.