WESTERN PROVINCE

KARONGI — The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA)’s decentralised and Environment Management Project (DEMP) has launched its second phase.

DEMP’s mandate is to decentralise environmental activities to local population in the Western Province.

The second phase was launched by the provincial Executive Secretary, Edward Rucogoza, on Thursday, during the closing of the first phase at the provincial auditorium in Karongi District.

Rucogoza, who spoke on behalf of the Western Province governor, noted that the project had done a good work of ensuring environment safety in the area, citing sustainable  waste management  and developing initiatives to protect rivers and other water bodies.

"I want to thank DEMP project for its work of keeping our environment safe. They have cleared waste along many rivers that was contaminating our water and we expect more inputs during the course of the second phase,” he said.

Financed by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Rwanda and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the first phase of DEMP started in 2005.

At the function, Dr. Rose Mukankomeje, the Director General of REMA, reminded participants that it’s everyone’s duty to safeguard the environment.

She explained that if we can maintain the environment in a friendly way, the country would become environmentally healthy.

‘The law protecting the environment was adopted in April 2005. If everyone here observes it clearly, environmental degradation and other related activities could be a non issue,’ she said.

Alphonsine Ntabana, the DEMP coordinator, lauded the local authorities  for their role in the implementation of the environmental activities enshrined in the DEMP, urging them to put into good use all the funds offered under the project.

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