NEPAD:

A three-day workshop to validate the proposed plan took place in Mbalmayo from January 10 to 12.

An action plan for the environmental component of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) will be up soon. Experts in the environment sector met in Mbalmayo to that effect from January 10 to 12 in a workshop to validate a proposed plan. The plan is a concrete translation of the objectives of NEPAD and draws its inspiration from the sub-regional plan of action developed after NEPAD but which remained too encompassing and hypothetical. Based on this therefore, it was proposed that countries build up contextualised national plans that ensure sustainability in environmental management.

In his speech during the opening ceremony of the workshop, the Minister of Environment and Nature Protection, Hele Pierre recalled the role Cameroon has to play in the whole process. “Cameroon is one of the five pilot countries together with Mozambigue, Ethiopia, Ghana and Libya that received support from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to draw up NEPAD Environmental Action Plan”, he said. The plan, he said covers six priority areas. These include: fight against soil degradation, draught and desertification; conservation of humid zones; prevention, control and management of invading exotic species; conservation and use of marine and coastal resources; fight against climate change in Africa and conservation and management of trans-border natural resources. The plan equally sets out to handle issues related to health and environment, transfer of ecologically rational technology, evaluation of natural catastrophe monitoring system, and NEPAD environmental repertoire.

The action plan proposed by a consultant was drawn within the framework of participatory consultation that went through three stages: evaluation of a global framework, organisation of eight thematic workshops to integrate African expert contribution and finalising and adoption of the plan.

The New Partnership for African Development is a new strategy that sets out to achieve sustainable development for the African continent.

CT