Ainhoa González
Biographic Data
| ID | 5918159 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ainhoa González |
| GIVEN NAMES | Ainhoa |
| FAMILY NAME | González |
| SIGNATURE | GONZALEZ A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College Dublin |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9334-3066 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 33 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 76 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 33 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The state-of-the-art of strategic Environmental Assessment
In this paper, the authors reflect on the state of the art of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in 2026, based on the professional academic literature (refereed papers, professional books and book chapters). The history of SEA development, extent of SEA application and interpretations as well as associated research activities and elements of effectiveness are outlined. Furthermore, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) …
Policy mapping for sustainability
Health and well-being are fundamental to sustainable development and central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as they entail coordinated, cross-sectoral policies that systematically and effectively integrate these considerations. This study applies a novel quantitative policy mapping method to Indonesia’s legislation from 1945 to 2024, examining how health and well-being have evolved in the policy discourse amid shifting soci…
Mapping sustainability in higher education institutions
Public engagement in strategic environmental assessment
The requirements for public consultation in strategic environmental assessment (SEA) imply explicit engagement with affected and interested individuals and communities. However, efforts to engage the lay public are often limited; when pursued, they are often within plan-making rather than SEA consultation. While the importance and value of public input in SEA are internationally recognised, with emphasis on the need for more dedicated action in t…
Strategic environmental assessment in Ireland
Ten key performance indicators (KPIs) of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) effectiveness were applied to 20 recent Irish SEAs, prepared between 2018 and 2023. This tested the applicability of the KPIs, established a ‘baseline’ of SEA effectiveness against which future SEA practice can be compared, and identified areas where improved practice is needed. The reviewed SEAs showed a progression through the dimensions of effectiveness: from goo…
Reflections on Ireland’s 2025 EIA conference
1. Ireland’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Conference was held on 6 March 2025 at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise, County Laois. With the theme ‘Effective EIA for Our Renewable Energy
Evaluación ambiental estratégica y ciudadanía
Desde que se tomó conciencia de la emergencia climática, la idea de poner en práctica nuevos modos de deliberación pública ha adquirido mayor importancia en el debate teórico y político ambiental. A partir de este contexto, y mediante un análisis documental, esta investigación analiza los factores institucionales, técnicos y sociopolíticos que condicionan la efectividad de la participación ciudadana en la Evaluación Ambiental Estratégica (EAE), e…
Developing international guidance to make impact assessment follow-up happen – reflections on an interactive design process
To advance impact assessment (IA) practice worldwide the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) has long promoted and published a series of international best practice principles, including the recently revised best practice principles for IA follow-up. IA follow-up refers to any kind of undertaking that seeks to ‘understand the outcomes of projects or plans’ that have been subject to IA. To support the implementation of these pri…
Developing key performance indicators for strategic environmental assessment effectiveness
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical quantifiable metrics used to evaluate performance or effectiveness.In the context of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), they provide the framework by which the effectiveness of SEA practice can be examined and compared.A wide range of KPIs of SEA effectiveness have been developed, but to date they have not been systematically linked to the full range of dimensions of SEA effectiveness.The deve…
Environmental assessment simplification in Spain
The Spanish government has made concerted efforts to simplify environmental assessment processes. In the case of the ‘simplified’ Strategic Environmental Assessment approach, this has been done with the objective of streamlining processes and resources, so that plans and programmes, or their modifications, that are considered to potentially have insignificant or negligible environmental effects are not subject to a full assessment. In contrast, t…
Empowering the public in environmental assessment
Public participation is a cornerstone of good plan-making and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), allowing local information and concerns to be captured, residents to be engaged in assessment and plan-making processes, and opposition to plan implementation to be reduced. Effective public participation in SEA depends on who is involved, how they are involved, and what influence they have over the SEA and plan-making processes. Using this who…
Motivating a change in environmental assessment practice
The responsive nature of environmental assessment (EA) subjects it to the political conversations that drive future planning and development, one of the most relevant being the increased attention given to a sustainable transition. This political attention has catalyzed an interest amongst practitioners to urge traditional EA practice towards one with an increased regard for sustainability objectives, understood, in this case, to be guided and dr…
Scales of inequality
Evaluating the quality of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (Eiars) for tourism developments in protected areas
There has been little empirical investigation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) performance towards safeguarding conservation and promoting responsible tourism within protected areas. This paper examines the quality of EIA Reports (EIARs) prepared for tourism developments in the world-renowned Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest in Africa. An adapted version of the internationally recognised Lee and Colley report …
Strategic environmental assessment monitoring
Monitoring in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is central to determining whether the assessment outcomes and associated mitigation measures have had the desired effect and the environment has been protected on the ground. Despite the critical role this procedural stage plays, and the international attempts to advance practice in this area, monitoring continues to be poorly performed 20 years on from the implementation of the European SEA …
Collaboration between an academic and a consultant
Raising the game in environmental assessment
The organised transfer of information between Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes – also known as tiering – has the potential to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of environmental assessments and improve the coherence of information to support decisions. Nevertheless, research on tiering practice is limited and the added value of tiering to SEA, EIA and planning processes rem…
Challenges and Prospects of Integrating GIS Education in Development Studies in a Global South Context
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are increasingly applied to support evidence-based decisions across disciplines, including the global development and humanitarian sector. However, higher education programmes in development-related fields rarely integrate GIS as a teaching and learning component. This paper describes a GIS module collaboratively developed for a Vietnamese undergraduate development studies curriculum. It explores opportunities…
Ripe for decision”
Perceptions of Light Pollution and its Impacts
Citizen science approaches may be useful in gathering data on public perceptions of light pollution and its impacts. In the current study, this perception was strongly influenced by location, highlighting the importance of assessing experiences and attitudes across a number of geographical settings
Adaptive responses to landscape changes from onshore wind energy development in the Republic of Ireland
Covering 26 years of Irish onshore wind energy development, this article tracks patterns in landscape changes from wind farm construction and identifies adaptive responses in public policy and by stakeholder groups. Wind farms face well-documented challenges with social acceptance due to landscape changes; however, little research has examined interactions between landscape change and social adaptations over the long-term. This article systematic…
Is SEA worth it? Short-term costs v. long-term benefits of strategic environmental assessment
The mutualism of strategic environmental assessment and sustainable development goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set a universal agenda intended to stimulate social, economic and environmental action. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has the potential to assist in the implementation of actions supporting the SDGs by providing a systematic framework to incorporate them into policies, plans and programmes; and the SDGs in turn, could substantiate SEA's contribution to sustainable development. Therefore, the par…
Introducing SEA effectiveness
The idea for this special issue – IAPA 2019, issues 3 and 4–startedwitharesearchprojectonSEAeffectivenessin Ireland commissioned by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 2018). As part of the project, we were to examine and learn from SEA effectiveness in other countries. At Thomas Fischer’s prompting, this evolved into inviting people to write articles about SEA effectiveness in their country. We wrote to about 20 people, expecting a fe…
SEA effectiveness in Spain
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is fairly well-established in Spain, informing decision-makers on the likely environmental consequences of their plans and policies. However, limited attention has been paid to the study of SEA effectiveness in Spain, particularly with regards to practitioner and stakeholder views. This paper aims to bridge this knowledge gap by gathering and examining views on SEA’s participatory aspects, the performance …
Advancing practice relating to SEA alternatives
The mutualism of strategic environmental assessment and sustainable development goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set a universal agenda intended to stimulate social, economic and environmental action. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has the potential to assist in the implementation of actions supporting the SDGs by providing a systematic framework to incorporate them into policies, plans and programmes; and the SDGs in turn, could substantiate SEA's contribution to sustainable development. Therefore, the par…
Applying geographic information systems to support strategic environmental assessment
Ripe for decision”
A decision-support system for sustainable urban metabolism in Europe
Indicators for Spatial Planning and Territorial Cohesion
González A., Daly G., Pinch P., Adams N., Valtenbergs V., Burns M. C. and Johannesson H. Indicators for spatial planning and territorial cohesion: stakeholder-driven selection approach for improving usability at regional and local levels, Regional Studies. Reformed European Union Cohesion Policy aims at delivering a coherent investment policy to achieve the Europe 2020 Strategy goals and to reduce regional disparities. Spatial indicators measure …
Raising the game in environmental assessment
The organised transfer of information between Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes – also known as tiering – has the potential to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of environmental assessments and improve the coherence of information to support decisions. Nevertheless, research on tiering practice is limited and the added value of tiering to SEA, EIA and planning processes rem…
Mapping environmental sensitivity
Assessing land-use history for reporting on cropland dynamics—A comparison between the Land-Parcel Identification System and traditional inter-annual approaches
Motivating a change in environmental assessment practice
The responsive nature of environmental assessment (EA) subjects it to the political conversations that drive future planning and development, one of the most relevant being the increased attention given to a sustainable transition. This political attention has catalyzed an interest amongst practitioners to urge traditional EA practice towards one with an increased regard for sustainability objectives, understood, in this case, to be guided and dr…
Collaboration between an academic and a consultant
Empowering the public in environmental assessment
Public participation is a cornerstone of good plan-making and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), allowing local information and concerns to be captured, residents to be engaged in assessment and plan-making processes, and opposition to plan implementation to be reduced. Effective public participation in SEA depends on who is involved, how they are involved, and what influence they have over the SEA and plan-making processes. Using this who…
Adaptive responses to landscape changes from onshore wind energy development in the Republic of Ireland
Covering 26 years of Irish onshore wind energy development, this article tracks patterns in landscape changes from wind farm construction and identifies adaptive responses in public policy and by stakeholder groups. Wind farms face well-documented challenges with social acceptance due to landscape changes; however, little research has examined interactions between landscape change and social adaptations over the long-term. This article systematic…
Is SEA worth it? Short-term costs v. long-term benefits of strategic environmental assessment
Applying geographic information systems to support strategic environmental assessment
A decision-support system for sustainable urban metabolism in Europe
Current practice in biodiversity impact assessment and prospects for developing an integrated process
Irish guidance for Integrated Biodiversity Impact Assessment provides a methodological approach for integrating impact assessment requirements, with regard to biodiversity, under EU and Irish legislation. Preparation of the guidance was supported by extensive consultation, including international and national surveys. These offered insights into the issues affecting the treatment of biodiversity in impact assessment practice as well as expert opi…
Advancing practice relating to SEA alternatives
Indicators for Spatial Planning and Territorial Cohesion
González A., Daly G., Pinch P., Adams N., Valtenbergs V., Burns M. C. and Johannesson H. Indicators for spatial planning and territorial cohesion: stakeholder-driven selection approach for improving usability at regional and local levels, Regional Studies. Reformed European Union Cohesion Policy aims at delivering a coherent investment policy to achieve the Europe 2020 Strategy goals and to reduce regional disparities. Spatial indicators measure …
Assessing land-use history for reporting on cropland dynamics—A comparison between the Land-Parcel Identification System and traditional inter-annual approaches
Mapping environmental sensitivity
Introducing SEA effectiveness
The idea for this special issue – IAPA 2019, issues 3 and 4–startedwitharesearchprojectonSEAeffectivenessin Ireland commissioned by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 2018). As part of the project, we were to examine and learn from SEA effectiveness in other countries. At Thomas Fischer’s prompting, this evolved into inviting people to write articles about SEA effectiveness in their country. We wrote to about 20 people, expecting a fe…
SEA effectiveness in Spain
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is fairly well-established in Spain, informing decision-makers on the likely environmental consequences of their plans and policies. However, limited attention has been paid to the study of SEA effectiveness in Spain, particularly with regards to practitioner and stakeholder views. This paper aims to bridge this knowledge gap by gathering and examining views on SEA’s participatory aspects, the performance …
Towards a better understanding of SEA effectiveness in Ireland
The first review of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) effectiveness in Ireland examined how a number of selected case studies performed procedurally. The findings pointed not only to deficiencies in the consideration of alternatives, monitoring and SEA Statements, but also in its capability to lead to more informed and sustainable decisions. Six years on from that review, this paper revisits some of the case studies and appraises non-proce…
Perceptions of Light Pollution and its Impacts
Citizen science approaches may be useful in gathering data on public perceptions of light pollution and its impacts. In the current study, this perception was strongly influenced by location, highlighting the importance of assessing experiences and attitudes across a number of geographical settings
Adaptive responses to landscape changes from onshore wind energy development in the Republic of Ireland
Covering 26 years of Irish onshore wind energy development, this article tracks patterns in landscape changes from wind farm construction and identifies adaptive responses in public policy and by stakeholder groups. Wind farms face well-documented challenges with social acceptance due to landscape changes; however, little research has examined interactions between landscape change and social adaptations over the long-term. This article systematic…
Is SEA worth it? Short-term costs v. long-term benefits of strategic environmental assessment
The mutualism of strategic environmental assessment and sustainable development goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set a universal agenda intended to stimulate social, economic and environmental action. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has the potential to assist in the implementation of actions supporting the SDGs by providing a systematic framework to incorporate them into policies, plans and programmes; and the SDGs in turn, could substantiate SEA's contribution to sustainable development. Therefore, the par…
Challenges and Prospects of Integrating GIS Education in Development Studies in a Global South Context
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are increasingly applied to support evidence-based decisions across disciplines, including the global development and humanitarian sector. However, higher education programmes in development-related fields rarely integrate GIS as a teaching and learning component. This paper describes a GIS module collaboratively developed for a Vietnamese undergraduate development studies curriculum. It explores opportunities…
Ripe for decision”
Scales of inequality
Evaluating the quality of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (Eiars) for tourism developments in protected areas
There has been little empirical investigation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) performance towards safeguarding conservation and promoting responsible tourism within protected areas. This paper examines the quality of EIA Reports (EIARs) prepared for tourism developments in the world-renowned Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest in Africa. An adapted version of the internationally recognised Lee and Colley report …
Strategic environmental assessment monitoring
Monitoring in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is central to determining whether the assessment outcomes and associated mitigation measures have had the desired effect and the environment has been protected on the ground. Despite the critical role this procedural stage plays, and the international attempts to advance practice in this area, monitoring continues to be poorly performed 20 years on from the implementation of the European SEA …
Collaboration between an academic and a consultant
Raising the game in environmental assessment
The organised transfer of information between Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes – also known as tiering – has the potential to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of environmental assessments and improve the coherence of information to support decisions. Nevertheless, research on tiering practice is limited and the added value of tiering to SEA, EIA and planning processes rem…
Environmental assessment simplification in Spain
The Spanish government has made concerted efforts to simplify environmental assessment processes. In the case of the ‘simplified’ Strategic Environmental Assessment approach, this has been done with the objective of streamlining processes and resources, so that plans and programmes, or their modifications, that are considered to potentially have insignificant or negligible environmental effects are not subject to a full assessment. In contrast, t…
Empowering the public in environmental assessment
Public participation is a cornerstone of good plan-making and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), allowing local information and concerns to be captured, residents to be engaged in assessment and plan-making processes, and opposition to plan implementation to be reduced. Effective public participation in SEA depends on who is involved, how they are involved, and what influence they have over the SEA and plan-making processes. Using this who…
Motivating a change in environmental assessment practice
The responsive nature of environmental assessment (EA) subjects it to the political conversations that drive future planning and development, one of the most relevant being the increased attention given to a sustainable transition. This political attention has catalyzed an interest amongst practitioners to urge traditional EA practice towards one with an increased regard for sustainability objectives, understood, in this case, to be guided and dr…
Developing international guidance to make impact assessment follow-up happen – reflections on an interactive design process
To advance impact assessment (IA) practice worldwide the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) has long promoted and published a series of international best practice principles, including the recently revised best practice principles for IA follow-up. IA follow-up refers to any kind of undertaking that seeks to ‘understand the outcomes of projects or plans’ that have been subject to IA. To support the implementation of these pri…
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (22 works) · Environmental planning (22 works) · Environmental resource management (21 works) · Environmental Science (21 works) · Business (20 works) · Political science (20 works) · Environmental impact assessment (17 works) · Mining and Resource Management (17 works) · Computer Science (16 works) · Strategic Environmental Assessment (16 works)