Mak law school to formulate IGAD environment laws

Apr 04, 2014

Makerere University School of Law has been selected as a centre of excellence for the development of environment policies and laws for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

By Innocent Anguyo

Makerere University School of Law has been selected as a centre of excellence for the development of environment policies and laws for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Harriet Musinguzi, the spokesperson of the School of Law said the school’s selection followed a successful proposal to IGAD, written by Assoc. Prof Emmanuel Kasimbazi.

In the proposal, Kasimbazi notes that the IGAD region is endowed with various largely trans-boundary environmental resources including rich biological diversity that needs to be managed sustainably.

He says, despite the opportunity biodiversity resources present for the sustainable development of the region, they are under increasing threat emanating largely from habitat loss and degradation;  inadequate investment in coastal zones; impacts of climate change; over fishing; silting of estuaries and coral gardens; alien invasive species; including weak legal and institutional structures.

The IGAD member countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda, Kasimbazi says have comprehensive water laws, but some of these laws need to be updated, while in Somalia provisions relevant to water resources are scattered in numerous legal instruments dating back to the colonial period.
 

Earlier making a case for the establishment of the center, Kasimbazi said the vast natural resource in the region needs to be carefully managed, regulated and conserved through cross-boundary regional agreements, using collaborative natural resource management approaches, to enhance or maintain ecosystems function and biodiversity conservation, in large-scale natural systems.
 

Musinguzi says under the agreement, Makerere will conduct trainings, hold seminars and conferences, conduct research, develop and review existing environment laws and policies, and advise the region’s leaders on issues of environment.

Kasimbazi says the centre will enhance the capacity of policy makers, lawyers, consultants, academics and students to deal with legal and policy aspects of water resources management in the region.
 

Makerere says the Centre will initially operate using the already existent course curricula taught by Makerere University School of Law at the Undergraduate and Post-Graduate Level, Diploma and Certificate.
 

In light of ensuring environment issues of other IGAD countries are catered for, Musinguzi says the Centre will also enter into Memorandums of Understanding with two universities in each of the member countries.
 

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