Development of Methods for Landscape Planning and Environmental Assessment

Landscape planning combines the aspects of the protection of the landscape and natural landscape elements with the adequate structuring and sustainable development of the region. Broad public acceptance for this field of action can be considered to be a given. The roots of landscape planning in Germany go back to the 19th century. Methodical transfers were made in a number of disciplines and in various sectors of society. Dr. Karsten Runge published a methodical synopsis of landscape planning with the publisher Springer: Entwicklungstendenzen der Landschaftsplanung: Vom frühen Naturschutz bis zur ökologisch nachhaltigen Flächennutzung (“Developmental tendencies of landscape planning: From early nature conservation to ecologically sustainable land use”). Methodical quality standards of planning continue to be the focus of the work of OECOS GmbH. In the context of safeguarding the quality of forecasts and putting planning into action, certain activities, such as efficiency controls and monitoring approaches, which are carried out by OECOS GmbH on request, gain in importance.

Environmental impact assessments serve to describe and assess the impact of specific projects on the environment. The EIA is an instrument for the preparation of rational decisions, but does not determine them. An environmental impact study is the scientific core of an EIA. For many decades, the development of methods in the fields of survey and assessment of spatial environmental consequences was mainly conducted – in Germany as well as internationally – sector by sector. Then, Dr. Karsten Runge presented a synopsis of the method development for EIA studies with an explicit main emphasis on the international developments: “Die Umweltverträglichkeitsuntersuchung: Internationale Entwicklungen und Planungspraxis” (“The environmental impact study: International developments and planning practice”). Quality standards of environmental impact studies continue to be a focus of the work of OECOS GmbH. The current standards of the Federal Office of Ocean Shipping and Hydrography (BSH) for impact studies of offshore turbines, for example, were co-developed by Dr. Karsten Runge. OECOS GmbH performs the quality control of environmental impact studies at any time on request.