In Zambia, efforts have been undertaken to train officers in environmental policy and legislation in order to ensure that the country’s environmental regulations and policy are adhered to and that abusers of natural resources are prosecuted. With support from the Ministry of the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education, forty officials recently graduated from a course of intensive training in this area. The graduates were drawn from the Forestry Department, Zambia Wildlife Authority, the Fisheries Department, Zambia Police, the Ministry of Mines and Mineral’s Development and pilot districts selected for testing the effectiveness of the Environmental Support programme. Also trained were officers from the Environmental Council of Zambia, the Drug Enforcement Commission and the Energy Regulations Board, which oversees operations of power generating plants.
During their course, the graduates learned such things as environmental law, investigation of environmental crimes and prosecution of environmental offenders. The training is part of the Zambian Government’s programme of managing natural resources and protecting them with the active participation of local communities. A multi-donor funded project that has drawn funding from the International Development Agency (IDA), the Nordic Fund, the UN Development Programme and counterpart funding from the Zambian Government – the Environment Support Program – aims at strengthening various capabilities in the nation.
The legal component of this programme seeks to harmonise environmental statutes and regulations while it strengthens institutional capacity. It would also raise awareness of the community and seek the participation of ordinary citizens in the enforcement of environmental laws. (Source: Lewis Mwanangombe).