Strategic environmental assessment and SDG integration: enhancing sustainable development in Egypt

Abstract This research delves into the integration and alignment between strategic environmental assessment (SEA) practices and Egypt's united nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), with a focus on incorporating environmental, social, and economic considerations into policies, plans, and programs. The study assesses Egypt's strategic environmental assessment framework, identifying its strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and gaps in sustainable development. It critically analyzes institutional coordination, stakeholder engagement, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation (MRE) frameworks, and policy coherence. The key findings underscore the commendable emphasis on environmental integrity in SEA practices, while also highlighting significant deficiencies in integrating broader sustainability criteria and aligning with the SDGs. The research concludes with policy implications, practice recommendations, and future research directions that aim to bolster the effectiveness of strategic environmental assessment in contributing to sustainable development in Egypt.