July 13, 2023 – The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has taken a significant step in promoting environment management by providing comprehensive training to Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) from selected districts in Central and Eastern Uganda.
The training session, held in Jinja City, was attended by more than 40 commissioners. Its primary objective was to enhance their capacity in environment management while reinforcing their constitutional roles and responsibilities in this crucial area.
RDCs and RCCs hold leadership positions in their respective district or urban authorities’ Natural Resources Committees, established under Section 27 of the National Environment Act. These committees consist of both political and technical officers and are entrusted with the responsibility of managing the environment within their jurisdictions. They play a vital role in ensuring that environmental concerns are seamlessly integrated into all development projects.
This engaging workshop was organized under the Uganda Inter-Fiscal Transfer (UgIFT) Programme, which seeks to address the challenges faced in financing Local Government service delivery in various sectors, including Education, Health, Water, and Agriculture (Microscale irrigation). NEMA, as the coordinator of all environmental aspects, ensures compliance with environmental concerns across all programmes under the UgIFT program.
The workshop centered around four key thematic areas: Policy Legal and Institutional Framework for Environment Management, Pollution and Waste Management in Uganda, State of Forestry Resources in Uganda, and State of Water Resources in Uganda.
Dr. Akankwasah Barirega, the Executive Director of NEMA, emphasized the significance of the RDCs’ constitutional mandate in curbing environmental degradation and implementing presidential directives related to the environment. Article 203 of the Constitution and Section 71 of the Local Government Act outline the roles of RDCs, including representing the President and the Government in the district, coordinating the administration of Government services, advising on matters of national importance, monitoring local government activities, and reporting noncompliance with Government policy.
In a collective effort, the RDCs pledged to combat corruption within the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) sector, provide support to lead agencies in enforcing ENR laws, implement all ENR executive orders, promote land use planning, and actively participate in the Environment and Social Impact Assessment process.
Hon. Alex Brandon Kintu, the Member of Parliament for Kagoma North, commended NEMA for partnering with RDCs to restore the environment and prevent further degradation. He expressed his support for this crucial initiative during the workshop’s closing remarks.