Regional legislators seek to curb environmental threats

A team of 23 Parliamentarians, forestry Policy Makers and Experts from Central and East African countries meeting in Kigali have underlined the urgent need to address environmental threats.They made the observation yesterday at the end of a two-day meeting to share experiences and develop a common strategy towards coming up with suitable forestry policies.The first Inter-Parliamentary forum on “Forests for People” was organised by the World Future Council foundation, an international policy research organization that provides decision makers with effective policy solutions. It casts a spotlight on successful and exemplary African policies and programmes which benefit current and future generations.“We are honoured to be the host country of this important meeting,” said Stanislas Kamanzi, the Minister of Natural Resources.“In Rwanda, we have made significant strides in the protection of the environment but more remains to be done. We, therefore, embrace the opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss solutions with representatives and experts from other countries across Africa and beyond”.Participants from ten African countries and beyond agreed to work hand in hand at the local, national and regional levels to preserve the social, economic and environmental values of forests and trees.Rwanda has taken great strides in conserving the environment for stance the banning of polythene bags and planting of trees among others which has earned the country’s international recognition.In a concluding session led by Dr. Rose Mukankomeje, Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority, and Jan McAlpine, Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests, the delegates passed the “Kigali Declaration”.The declaration commits to achieve sustainable forest management, to facilitate action on afforestation, reforestation, and degraded lands, to implement agroforestry and to develop programmes for participatory forest management in order to halt and reverse deforestation.Participants also vowed to promote sustainable wood fuels, energy efficient cooking stoves and alternatives including environmentally friendly renewable energy sources.Delegates decided to integrate into their laws the importance of clear land tenure, including for communities and notably, women. They also agreed to support moves towards the prohibition of environmentally harmful polyethylene bags, drawing from the Rwandan example.They will be meeting on an annual basis to share success stories and to report on national progress made in implementing the Kigali Declaration.The meeting brought together participants from Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia.

National

Regional legislators seek to curb environmental threats