Risk-based Environmental Management Approach for Kenya
The REMAK project was funded by the British Government through the Department for International Development (DFID). The funds amounted to £305,000.00 over a two year period. The project targeted the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and those associated with the Authority.
The aim of the project was to increase the capacity within NEMA to cope with the high level of demands made upon their scarce resources by developing a risk-based approach to their operations. This would result in their reputation being enhanced, particularly within the private sector and lead agencies.
The project was also intended to introduce an incident management capability within the Authority, including a response based upon the classified threat to the environment
This was a two year project, which started in July 2005 and ended in July 2007. The Environment Agency for England and Wales provided a full time Project Manager, Mr. Christopher Denley, based in NEMA.
Impact
The main impacts of the project have been the implementation of five operational policies along with relevant process maps and guidance for NEMA. These five operational policies are on environmental impact assessment; environment audits; waste water management, incident management; enforcement and prosecution.
In addition, the project trained 66 NEMA officers on Basic Enforcement. This enabled 26 officers to be appointed and gazetted as environmental officers under EMCA 1999 during the duration of the project. A further 40 have since been so appointed. Several members of staff from NEMA have enjoyed placements with the Environment Agency for England and Wales as a result of the project.
Under REMAK and as part of the Incident Management System, a hot line- 020-606041- for reporting environmental incidents was set up and publicized.
This training is continuing in a second phase of the project, now funded by the DANIDA-EPS project and supported by USAID. The project also provided NEMA with expert advice and assistance during the roll-out of the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Water Quality) Regulations 2006 and the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Waste Management) Regulations 2006. As a direct result of the roll-out of these Regulations the profile and reputation of NEMA was raised within both the public and private sectors in the country.
