EASTERN PROVINCE

RWAMAGANA — Rwandans should own environmental conservation measures, an official of environmental Management said.

Theobald Mashinga, said environmental officers should sensitize residents to balance the ecology with economic and social activities in order to conserve the environment.

 Mashinga, head of environmental impact assessment at Rwanda environmental management authority [REMA], was recently closing a two-weeks training for environmental officers at hotel Dereva.

The training was geared towards Environmental impact assessment and auditing.

"Go and sensitize residents to feel ownership of environment. Sensitize private developers on proper investment without degrading the environment,” Mashinga said, adding that there is need to balance the ecology by doing economic and social activities that are compatible with the environment.

 According to Mireille Umwali, the coordinator of urban infrastructure and City management project, the co-organizers of the event, environmental management, planning and implementation formed part of the training.
She called on participants to disseminate the knowledge and skills obtained to residents.

Emmanuel Rwakayigamba, one of the participants, from Rwamagana, hailed the training saying the skills and knowledge they obtained were invaluable.

Rwakayigamba requested REMA to organize similar training in future and to strengthen the cooperation with the district environmental officers because they are the ones on the ground.

 He also asked for work equipments like digital cameras that would help them execute their work efficiently.

He said with cameras, they would take photographs which would be shown to the public during sensitization campaigns so that the public can understand the extent of environmental degradation in the country.

Environmental officers from the Private sector federation, and other government Ministries also attended the training.
Ends