East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 28th May, 2021: The East African Community will join the rest of the world to commemorate the World Environmental Day by organising the “EAC Regional Environmental Week” (EACREW) from 2nd – 4th June, 2021 in Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania.
The objective of the EACREW is to increase public awareness on the need to sustainably manage and conserve the environment and natural resources in the region. The EACREW will also help to reach out to the intended beneficiaries of the regional policies, instruments and actions on environment and natural resources management.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 10th February, 2020: East African Community Partner States have been directed to enforce relevant laws to effectively ban the manufacture and use of plastic carrier bags with immediate effect.
The 7th Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council on Environment and Natural Resources Management which met in Dodoma, Tanzania further directed Partner States that have not completely banned the single use plastic and plastic carrier bags to do so urgently.
So far, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania have fully enforced the ban on the manufacture of single use plastic and plastic carrier bags.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 4th February, 2020: The 7th Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council on Environment and Natural Resources is currently underway in Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania.
The objective of the five-day meeting is to review progress and provide policy guidance on the implementation of Environment and Natural Resource Management matters.
East African Community Headquarters, Kigali , Rwanda 13th November, 2019: The East African Community (EAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariats have come up with position papers to guide negotiations of the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) also known as Conference of Parties (COP25) set for 2-13 December 2019 in Madrid, Spain.
The Position papers were agreed upon during a two-day regional technical consultative workshop in Kigali on 8 – 9 November 2019. The Secretariats, both beneficiaries of the European Union’s ACP’s Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+) grant, jointly organized the Pre-COP25 technical meeting to come up with regional position papers consolidated from national positions of their respective member countries for submission to the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) to guide Africa in the negotiations during COP25 sessions.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 1st November, 2019: The East African Community in collaboration with the US Agency for International Development Kenya/East Africa (USAID/KEA) have launched a new programme for the conservation and sustainable use of East Africa’s natural capital.
The Conservation and Management of the Region's Natural Capital Programme is an initiative that seeks to improve the collaborative management and conservation of trans-boundary natural resources, reduce wildlife poaching and trafficking, and increase the perceived value of living wildlife.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 3rd October, 2019: The intra-Global Climate Alliance Plus (GCCA+) Programme on supporting Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Actions in the East African Community has been launched at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The European Union (EU) is providing funding to the tune of 1.6 million Euros for the four-year project which commenced in July 2019 and runs up to June 2023.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 28th May, 2019: The Chairperson of the 20th Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers for Lake Victoria Basin (20th SECOM), Dr. Vincent Biruta, Minister for Environment of Rwanda has urged delegates from five Partner States of the East African Community to enhance efforts towards meeting present needs without compromising next generation’s needs.
According to the Chairperson of the 20th SECOM, the realization of such development aspiration lies in putting in place a green economy model, ensuring social equity and striving for wellbeing of citizens in East African Partner States. He made the remarks while opening the Ministerial Session of the 20th SECOM held in Kisumu, Republic of Kenya, 24th May 2019.
Lake Victoria Basin Commission Secretariat, Kisumu, Kenya: Scientists from International Nitrogen Management Systems (INMS), Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Makerere University in partnership with Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) collectively reflected on strategies of harnessing Nitrogen for productivity in Lake Victoria Basin region.
Lake Victoria Basin Commission Secretariat, Kisumu, Kenya,1 March, 2019: The Republic of Uganda, which has been chairing the Joint Regional Policy Steering Committee Meetings (JRPSC) for Lake Victoria Basin, has handed over the chairmanship to the Republic of Rwanda on February, 28th 2019 in Kisumu, Kenya.
Handing the instruments of chairmanship, Alfred Okot Okidi the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water and Environment, Republic of Uganda outlined to participating delegates to JRPSC, the key achievements registered during his chairmanship. These included, but not limited to, successful completion of two mega flagship projects—Lake Victoria Water Sanitation Project phase two (LVWATSAN II) and Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP II).
The two regional projects have been coordinated by Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and implemented by five East African Community Partner States. Reports from LVBC indicate that the two projects registered tangible outcomes at community levels through improved livelihoods and environmental conservation in East African Community Partner States.
Acknowledging challenges still hampering the Lake Victoria Basin, the outgoing chairperson of the JRPSC observed that consensus and moving forward with a purpose would contribute in advancing East Africa Community integration agenda through programmes and projects.
The incoming chairperson, Fatina Mukarubibi, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment Republic of Rwanda commended the good leadership of the outgoing chairperson and committed to keep the pace set by members of JRPSC and LVBC—the latter is the implementer of the decisions and directives of the former.
Mukarubibi called for adoption of innovation, effective regional coordination and working extra harder by EAC Partner States as a way of unlocking existent development challenges—climate change, water hyacinth, among others. “On climate change, we need to embrace climate adaptation measures in our long term development plans and work together,” Fatina Mukarubibi, the chairperson of RJPSC said.
LVBC Executive Secretary, Dr. Ally-Said Matano also applauded the able leadership of the outgoing chairperson and congratulated the in-coming chairperson for assuming new responsibilities of steering the policy-making forum (JRPSC) for programmes and projects in the Lake Victoria.
Dr. Matano expressed gratitude for the policy and strategic support from Principal and Permanent Secretaries and Ministers of the East Africa Community Partner States to the Lake Victoria Basin Commission. He lauded the ongoing support from development partners, specifically, World Bank, African Development Bank, KfW, EU, and USAID among others.
LVBC Executive Secretary cited Lake Victoria Bill as one of the legal and policy instruments which if enacted into law by the EALA Members of Parliament will reinforce LVBC’s resource mobilization efforts.
The host of JRPSC, Ali Noor, the Principal Secretary for Environment and Forestry, Republic of Kenya welcomed delegates to one of Kenya’s Lake Cities, Kisumu.
He commended LVBC’s use of common approaches in sustainable management of shared resources in the five EAC Partner States. He urged delegates to generate recommendations aimed at realizing the shared vision of Lake Victoria Basin.
The Kenya’s representative called for delegates to observe one minute of silence in remembrance of marine victims from two sister EAC countries—Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
The 8th JRPSC considered, among other things, the status of implementation of the recommendations and decisions of the previous JRPSC for Lake Victoria Basin held in April 2018 in Entebbe Uganda and other subsequent policy related meetings.
The JRPSC meeting also considered the progress reports for projects and programmes. Other pertinent issues on agenda included, but are not limited to, LVBC Resource Mobilization Initiatives—Pipeline projects and programmes.
Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) is a specialized institution of the East African Community (EAC) located in the City of Kisumu, Republic of Kenya and within the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB). The Commission is mandated to coordinate sustainable development and management of the Lake Victoria Basin in the 5 EAC Partner States.
