EMA says LEAPs to serve as blueprint for future investment

Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has said local environment action plans (LEAPs) are envisaged to create sustainable communities which are safe, healthy and clean.

LEAPs are plans that local authorities develop for the management of the environment within areas under their jurisdiction.
Local authorities are mandated as stated in section 95 of the Environmental Management Act (CAP 20:27) to develop these plans.

The concept of sustainable development evolved in the early 1980s worldwide and it saw the development of the National Conservation Strategy. The major objective of this strategy was to ensure that development planning would take into consideration the need to balance socio-economic development with environmental protection.

Matabeleland South environmental education and publicity officer Mr Simon Musasiwa said the idea of environmental action planning involving communities was first introduced in the rural areas under the District Environmental Action Planning (DEAP) process.

“This is because it was originally believed that environmental problems were concentrated there. However, in recent years it has been observed that urban areas are also experiencing increasing environmental problems because of the increase in urbanisation and industrialisation,” said Mr Musasiwa.

He said the LEAP process is spearheaded by the local authority.

“The process involves all key stakeholders, the community, Government departments, non-governmental organisations, local leadership, environment committees and subcommittees, councillors, industry, private companies, religious groups et cetera coming together to identify the environmental challenges in their area.

“They assess or prioritise them in terms of their severity, developing action plans for the identified challenges as well as monitoring the plans,” said Mr Musasiwa.

Upon realisation that the LEAP is a district plan which might not be fully representative of environmental issues at ward and village levels, Mr Musasiwa said, EMA has seen the need to develop ward and village plans.

“Once the right actions are prescribed and implemented, Environmental Action Plans ensure sustainable environmental management; safe, clean and healthy environments. Sustainable management starts with correct planning. Communities derive a lot of benefits from the environment hence the need to manage it sustainably,” said Mr Musasiwa.

“These plans result in systematic and co-ordinated ways of doing things within an area. If properly compiled, the Environment Action Plan serves as a blueprint for future investment.

“The participatory nature of the process ensures the involvement of every stakeholder; this makes project implementation easier as it becomes a shared responsibility.”

Mr Musasiwa said Environmental Action Plans provide a starting point for developing sustainable communities.

“It helps to ensure that the community adequately examines and addresses the major environmental issues such as minimising pollution and waste, efficient use of natural resources, reclaiming degraded areas, gullies and wetlands, promoting pollution prevention and ensuring sustainable resource use,” said Mr Musasiwa.

He said the plans make local authorities autonomous thus fulfilling the Government policy of decentralisation.

“LEAPs are a forum for bringing diverse groups, individuals with different interests, values and perspectives together for a shared vision. The Agency therefore, needs to work closely with stakeholders in fulfilling its mandate; local authorities are one of these stakeholders,” said Mr Musasiwa.

The Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27) was enacted in 2002 providing for the preparation of LEAPs by all local authorities. EMA has been training local authorities on the production of Local Environmental Action Plans since 2003, training 76 local authorities to date.

The process involves all relevant key stakeholders, non-governmental organisations, Government institutions, businesspeople and community-based organisations. – @Yolisswa