Govt says national environmental action plan in final stages

The government is on its final stage in reviewing the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) to meet the current environmental needs of the country.

Speaking during a stockholder`s consultative meeting here yesterday, the Director of Environment in the Prime Minister`s Office, Environment, Erick Mugurusi, said that the review is in line with the changes in environment and climate.

According to Mugurusi, a lot has happened ever since the country`s last environment meeting and there is a need for changes to take place every five years.

`We need support from sectors and stakeholders including government departments to implement the NEAP. There is need to establish and promote appropriate, education and awareness programmes to facilitate proper community participation in conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity resources,` said Mugurusi.

He said that the action plan will improve availability, accessibility and exchange of information pertaining to sustainable utilisation of biodiversity resources.

`NEAP will be the basis of the framework for the preparation of environmental action plans for all sectors in the country. The National Environmental Action Plan will also look at the ways to promote socioeconomic development while maintaining environmental quality and resource productivity,` he added.

Contributing to the topic, the Director General of Capital Development Authority, Martin Kitilla who had been consulted to review the NEAP, emphasized the need for the same to be appraised to meet changes happening now and then in the world.

`We can not stay behind as the world is now changing, we have to also find ways to enable us to stay in line with globalisation,` he said.

He cited livestock sector as one of the areas to be looked at as it contributes to land degradation through overgrazing.

According to Kitilla, the current interventions are directed in implementing the National Action Programme to Combat Desertification, Biodiversity Conservation, environmental friendly production practice, sand abatement of pollution and strengthening of both human resources and institution.

The government in collaboration with different stakeholders has put emphasis on the need to promote, strengthen and sensitize communities and individual participation as a strategy to invigorate environmental conservation and management.