The Director General of the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (Rema) Dr Rose Mukankomeje (right) has said that conserving the environment should be a responsibility for all Rwandans.

Dr Mukankomeje made the remark while closing a one-week training workshop that attracted fifty representatives from Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in environmental protection.

"All Rwandans should play an active role in promoting environmental management if we are to succeed. It should not only be left to the government," she told participants as the workshop closed at La Pallisse Hotel, Nyandungu over the weekend.

She said that with such training, the Government of Rwanda will be relieved of some duties and concentrate on other pressing issues.

"Even the existence of Rema will be useless after all Rwandans are knowledgeable about environmental management," she added.

The training, conducted by different experts from both Malawi and Uganda, was organised under the auspices of the Nile Basin Discourse Forum (NBDF).

The Executive Secretary of NBDF, Frank Habineza, said that despite the progress registered in promoting environmental conservation activities, there is still a long way to go.

"This is why we organise such workshops," he explained.

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