UNDP Support of the State-of-Environment Reporting
The National Environment Management Authority is mandated by the Act to prepare and submit a State of Environment (SoE) Report every year to Parliament. The Report documents environmental issues and potential interventions to be undertaken by various sectors towards enhancing the status and quality of the environment. The SoE Report also forms the basis for the preparation of operational sector policies, enhancement of the integration of environmental concerns into development processes, and preparation of environmental action plans. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the Authority since 2003 - providing both technical and part financial support towards the preparation of the SoEs. The two institutions operate on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) prepared in 2003. This MoU is currently being reviewed to encompass the emerging changes in the reporting mechanism that has placed the SoE Reporting under the UNDP Component of Integrations.
Nonetheless, over the years the UNDP funding has been used to facilitate the working retreats between the SoE Conveners and Experts from relevant lead agencies that culminate in the development of the annual Report Guidelines. The guidelines are subjected to relevant sector reviewers to ensure completeness, relevance and accuracy.
The UNDP support also goes towards hosting regional training workshops for NEMA field officers who are involved in the preparation of the District SoE Reports. These sessions help in enhancing the understanding of the various report themes, the scope data and information requirements for the various thematic sections. With the exception of the 2003 Report, subsequent SoE reports have embraced a thematic approach addressing a specific priority environmental issue in the country. The 2004 and 2005 Reports addressed the themes: Land Use & Environment and Pollution & Waste Management respectively. The 2006/7 Report
which is currently under development focuses on Effects of Climate Change and Coping Mechanisms in Kenya.
Once the Reports are complete, the UNDP plays an instrumental role in ensuring they are tabled in Parliament. Since 2003, NEMA forwards about 260 copies of the printed Reports to the Clerk of the National Assembly through the Minister for Environment & Mineral Resources.
In the near future, NEMA plans to enhance its monitoring and evaluation to gauge the level and extent of utilization of the SoE Reports as well as the implementation of the documented recommendations. The Authority urges the UNDP to upscale its financial resources towards the project in order to ensure timely production of the reports and enhance their application by the intended stakeholders.
