Role of NEMA in facilitating RCE operations in Kenya

ByDr Ayub Ndaruga

Director, Environmental Education, Information and Public Participation, NEMA-Kenya

How can a national government authority engage RCEs in national

sustainability processes?

Why is NEMA interested in working with RCEs?

Legal requirement

EMCA 1999 section 9(2)m mandates the Authority to –

• undertake, in co-operation with relevant lead agencies, programmes intended to enhance environmental education and public awareness about the need for sound environmental management as well as for enlisting public support and encouraging the effort made by other entities in that regard

Role of NEMA in establishment of RCEs

• Development of ESD strategy started in 2003 and finalized in 2007

• 8 strategies of implementing Kenya ESD strategy one of which is RCEs

• 1st RCE launched in 2007 – RCE Greater Nairobi• 2008 – NEMA visited 22 ministries and

universities selling the idea of RCEs• NEMA includes targets in the annual workplan to

establish RCEs

How can a national government authority support local RCE actions?

How does NEMA encourage development of RCEs?

• Wrote to universities requesting for a meeting to explain RCE concept

• Letter sent to the Vice chancellor with intention to lobby at highest level to secure whole school approach

• Action sometimes delegated to a senior member of staff• Training on ESD concept and RCEs done to university staff

and local stakeholders • After the training, NEMA could announce the University as

an RCE• Ideally, Kenya has 9 RCE’s but only 3 acknowledged by UNU • The universities are guided on how to engage UNU for

acknowledgement

To strengthen engagement of national policy makers with RCEs,

what are the major challenges and opportunities, and how do you

intend to tackle or address them?

Opportunities

• Capacity in universities in terms of human capital – lecturers, students

• Mandate – Training, Research/innovation and community outreach

• Sustainability issues to be addressed• Flexibility of university systems• Multiple stakeholders doing things at local level

including government, private sector, and CSOs•

Challenges

• Governance – NEMA useful in conflict resolution

• Dormancy• Recruitment of partners• Team management• Fundraising• Linkage between learning and action

Challenges cont’d

• Thinking globally and acting locally• Linkage with government and private sector

initiatives• RCE action plans

How NEMA addresses the challenges

• Devolved contact persons from NEMA• Encouragement and reminders to RCEs• Policy development• Capturing RCE activities in NEMA workplans• Meeting with RCE coordinators• Capacity building and mentoring for upcoming

RCEs• Funding some RCE activities e.g. botanic garden,

solid waste project, e-waste project

Interventions cont’d

• Annual RCE conference• Roping in of policy makers and other project

initiatives to RCE activities• Quarterly monitoring and evaluation by NEMA

Conclusion

• RCEs have great potential to address sustainability issues

• RCEs face numerous challenges• NEMA is committed to making the RCEs

operational• Main role played by NEMA is national

coordination, capacity building and funding some projects

End