{THE East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has passed the EAC Forests Management and Protection Bill 2015 in effect putting in place a regional framework to conserve the environment.}
The Bill whose mover is Mr Christophe Bazivamo sailed through at its 3rd Reading after the Committee stage scrutinized its various clauses, proposing amendments. The Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources draft was presented by Ms.Judith Pareno on behalf of the Chair.
The EAC Forestry and Management Protection Bill, 2015 hopes to promote the development, protection, conservation, sustainable management and use of the forests in the Community especially trans-boundary forests ecosystems, in the interest of present and future generations.
It further wants to espouse the scientific, cultural and socio-economic values of forests and harmonise national forest laws. Once amends are integrated, the Bill is expected to undergo assent by the Heads of State in line with Article 63 of the Treaty for the Establishment of EAC.
The Bill seeks to operationalize Article 112 (1) d) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC in which Partner States undertook to co-operate in the management of the environment and agreed to take necessary disaster preparedness, management, protection and mitigation measures especially for the control of natural and man-made disasters.
It also delineates the roles and responsibilities of Partner States and seeks to promote uniformity and integration in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and management.
Finally it seeks to create a regional mechanism which would enable a timely intervention in disaster situations. The Assembly had at its last sitting in Nairobi in October 2015, adjourned debate on the Bill.
The adjournment at Committee stage followed the successful Motion for the same, tabled by the Chair of EAC Council of Ministers Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, seeking for more time to enable Tanzania make some input.
Dr Mwakyembe then informed the House that Tanzania held General Election recently and that it was necessary for the debate to be put on hold until such time that government is in place to effectively enable the Partner State to make its input. The Bill has five parts with the Preliminaries and objectives contained in Part 1.
Part two covers general measures on forest management and protection while Governance and institutions of forest management and control are entailed in part 3 of the Bill.
Part 4 amplifies trade in forest related products while section 5 envisages co-ordination matters under a Board known as the EAC Forests Board to be operationalized by the Council of Ministers.
SOURCE:DAILY NEWS:[EALA enacts Forest Management Bill->http://dailynews.co.tz/index.php/home-news/44616-eala-enacts-forest-management-bill]
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