EAC and Environment & Natural Resources
The East African Community is endowed with various natural resources such as forests, water, wildlife, mountains, minerals and energy resources. The natural resources are the drivers of national and regional economic development. The objective of the Environment and Natural Resources Management sector is to promote sustainable use and management of natural resources and promote adaptation to climate change. Articles 111, 112 and 114 of the EAC Treaty provide for cooperation in environment and natural resources. The EAC Partner States have agreed to take joint effort to cooperate in efficient management of these resources. Key priorities of the sector include Climate Change adaptation and mitigation, natural resource management and biodiversity conservation, disaster risk reduction and management, and pollution control and waste management. The sector is strengthening the resilience and sustainable management of biologically significant trans-boundary freshwater ecosystems; supporting adaptive capacities and resilience to the negative impacts of Climate Change; developing and harmonising standards, framework and regulation on pollution control and waste management; and, strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction management and policy.
The German Government supports this EAC Sector as cooperation outside the Core Area of EAC-German cooperation as defined by BMZ 2030 – in the area of “Conserving Nature and Natural Resources, Protecting Life on Earth” in the Intervention Area “Water”. The cooperation directly contributes to implement three of the eight priority areas defined by the 6th EAC Development Strategy, namely “Development of Regional Infrastructure”, “Institutional Transformation” and “Awareness Creation”. The BMZ 2030 reform strategy focuses on a new quality of cooperation. More information on BMZ 2030 can be found here.