National Environmental Master Plan for Strategic Interventions (2022 – 2032).

This National Environmental Master Plan for Strategic Interventions (NEMPSI) is a nationwide sectoral document aiming at guiding coordinated environmental interventions at all levels, based on spatial variation of environmental challenges and intervention options. It will guide the implementation of environmental interventions for a 10-year period (2022-2032) to tackle the 12 crucial environmental challenges, namely (1) land degradation; (2) deterioration of water sources; (3) impacts of climate change; (4) environmental pollution; (5) deforestation and forest degradation; (6) loss of wildlife habitat and biodiversity; (7) deterioration of coastal and marine ecosystem; (8) wetland deterioration; (9) inadequate waste management; (10) urban environmental challenges; (11) proliferation of invasive species; and (12) inadequate environmental governance. In achieving the priority areas of the Master Plan, it is intended to take strategic and effective intervention options that include (i) sustained public awareness, (ii) increased and effective participation of all stakeholders, (iii) instituting land use plans, (iv) restoration programs for degraded ecosystems, (v) provision of waste collection and disposal facilities, (vi) upgrading of law enforcement regime, and (vii) adoption of cleaner production technologies. Specific objectives of this Master Plan are to (i) provide the actual status of environmental challenges, indicating the causal effect, existing initiatives, and constraints; (ii) provide the direction of required changes; (iii) indicate priority focus areas for interventions; and (iv) establish realistic and fact-based intervention options.
In facing the different challenges that affect the environmental sector, the Master Plan focuses on several goals that have to be met and indicates the interventions that need to be done to achieve those goals. They are (i) to maintain, restore and enhance the land resources and ecosystem services by intervening in highly degraded areas and on the mining activities, together with the incentives that encourage investments, and activities for raising awareness and capacity building; (ii) to enhance conservation of forest ecosystems and promote sustainable utilization of forestry resources by intervening on the restoration of deforested areas, the over-dependence of biomass energy, promotion of private sector and local communities participation in sustainable forestry management; (iii) sustainable conservation, protection, and management of water sources by intervening on water catchments management, the promotion of efficient water use, and water quality control; (iv) sustainable management and wise use of wetlands by intervening on restoration and conservation of wetlands for harnessing biodiversity and ecosystem services, building community consciousness, strengthening local economic prospects and reducing pressure on wetland resources, as well as the sustainable irrigation and other water uses in the catchment areas; (v) to protect biodiversity, ecosystem services and livelihood assets from invasive species and their negative impacts by intervening on the national capacity in research and management of invasive species, and their effective control, monitoring and prevent their introduction and spread; (vi) conservation and management of wildlife habitats and biodiversity both in protected and non- protected areas by intervening on the sustainable management of wildlife corridors, and sustainable utilization of biodiversity; (vii) sustainable management and conservation of coastal and marine ecosystem by intervening on all mangrove ecosystem, promotion of alternative livelihood activities in coastal communities, promotion of Marine Spatial plans, conservation and management of coral reefs, and reduction of all forms of destructive fishing; (viii) to reduce climate vulnerability and enhance resilience to climate change impacts by intervening on flood control programme in flood prone areas, sustainable management of water bodies (lakes and dams) and catchments to reduce flood risks, intrusion and inundation, enhancement of monitoring and early warning system, and investment in clean technologies for diverse renewable energy sources; (ix) to reduce pollution to enhance public health other than environment by intervening on sound management of plastic wastes, capacity of institution, sustainable system to identify, collect and dispose of obsolete pesticides and associated chemical waste; (x) to enhance waste management services by intervening on solid waste management, waste minimization approaches, waste management information system, and the management of liquid waste; (xi) to enhance sustainable environment and utilization of urban and city resources to community well-being.
The Master Plan calls for enhancing the institutional capacity for improving environmental governance. To this end, it is required to (i) enhance communication, coordination, and information-sharing systems between the Ministry responsible for Environment and Sector ministries and Local Government Authorities; (ii) enhance the availability of accessible and reliable environmental data and information; (iii) enhance institutional human resource; (iv) intervene at legislation level, in particular on the Environmental Management Act (EMA) enforcement and review.