NEST mandate is limited to matters related to the environment and sustainable development, primarily in Nigeria but with general global interest.
It specifically includes:
- Participating in and promoting research and publications on the environment and sustainable development,
- Striving to influence policy to secure the sustainable use of environmental resources,
- Raising public awareness of environmental and sustainable development issues, and
- Supporting popular action on the environment
FRIENDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT NIGERIA
The Institute of Environment and Water Management (IEWM) is a non-governmental organization that aims to strengthen water and environmental governance and climate change resilience through unlocking the potential of communities and institutions to manage their natural resources equitably and sustainably.
IEWM has a strong track record in tackling and finding innovative solutions to address climate change, natural resource management, and water and sanitation issues, through training and capacity building, skills development, research and knowledge management. The institute’s added value and achievements relies on strategically combining effective programme management, targeted advocacy and compelling communications.
The Institute has striven to bridge the gap between local action and policy/decision making through lobbying and advocacy. It’s technical experience and influence is recognised and valued at the national level and IEWM’s interventions are clearly aligned with national policies and guidelines, actively contributing to the country’s Vision 2030.
National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) is a State Corporation established by the Environmental Management and Coordination Act of 1999. Our mandate is “To facilitate research intended to further the requirements of environmental management, capacity building, environmental awards, environmental publications, scholarships and grants”. NETFUND’s vision is “Sustainable financing available for environmental management in Kenya”. Our mission is “To mobilize, manage and avail resources for; environmental awards, capacity building, research and publications, scholarships and grants in Kenya.”
As a Fund, we provide a platform for environmental conservationists and funding agents to converse and share bankable ideas. Through our unmatched convening power, we coordinate environmental sector players and create synergy to deliver well researched initiatives competently for effective environmental management in Kenya.
Our network of partners, experts and robust internal financial and governance systems have enabled us design and deliver highly impactful projects to greater scale and with higher levels of accountability. We assure our development partners of a high social return on investment and we will make it easier for our national and international partners to support viable solutions to solve priority national environmental challenges.
Official operations began in 2006 under the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). NETFUND became a state corporation independent of NEMA, in 2015 following amendment of the EMCA.
To fulfil its strategic objectives and mandate the Fund is structured into four (4) Directorates and four (4) Departments reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as follows:
- Directorate of Programmes
- Directorate of Research, Resource Mobilization and Consultancy Services
- Directorate of Strategy and Planning
- Directorate of Corporate Services
- Internal Audit Department
- Supply Chain Management Department
- Corporate Secretary and Legal Services Department
- The Fund Management Services
The Internal Audit and the Fund Management Services report functionally to the Board of Trustees and administratively to the CEO.
A private, not-for-profit organisation committed to the protection of Kenya’s marine environment.To ensure the marine environments in which we operate are effectively managed and conserved to benefit local communities and commercial stakeholders, utilising natural resources sustainably.
As a means to achieving its mission of biodiversity conservation, RSCN has dedicated itself to Setting up and managing of nine protected areas in Dana, Wadi Mujib, Azraq, Shaumari, Dibeen, Ajloun, Fifa, Yarmouk and Wadi Rum, covering over 1200 square kilometers in some of the finest natural landscapes in the country to safeguard Jordan’s natural environment and biodiversity. Currently, a reserve is being set up in Burqu, while eight additional sites are proposed locations for the establishment of new reserves in the upcoming years;
- Enforcing the Wildlife Protection Act through a special mandate from the Ministry of Agriculture, and working closely with law enforcement agencies, such as the environmental police unit (Rangers), to protect biodiversity. RSCN is also designated as the management and enforcement authority for CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
- Conducting research to provide a scientific base to aid conservation efforts.
- Raising awareness on environmental issues, with a focus on school students through establishing nature conservation clubs, providing educational programs in the reserves, and integrating biodiversity concepts in school curricula.
- Running captive breeding programs and successfully saving several endangered species from extinction, such as the magnificent endangered Arabian Oryx, gazelle, and ibex and re-introducing them into the wilderness. RSCN has currently moved away from the process of captive breeding and embraced a new method of conservation, which involves a shift from species-oriented conservation programs to habitats-oriented conservation programs.
- Developing large-scale conservation projects that aim to integrate environmental protection with the socio-economic development of local people living in and around the nature reserves. RSCNs socio-economic projects include a wide variety of eco-tourism programs, as well as the production of unique handicrafts and organic food items. These nature-based businesses provide jobs tied to the protection of natural areas and create improved livelihoods for poor rural communities. All of RSCN products and eco-tourism ventures are marketed under the trade name “Wild Jordan” and the full range of handicrafts are available at the Wild Jordan Center in Amman.
- Providing training and capacity building to environmental practitioners and other institutions throughout Jordan and the Middle East in an attempt to share our expertise and empower others to join in the protection of nature.
- Encouraging the public to become more involved in conservation efforts by joining RSCNs membership program and becoming a voice for nature.
- Promoting public action for environmental protection through campaigns and activities run by an advocacy committee comprised of volunteers from different sectors.
Earthlife Africa is a non-profit organisation, founded in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1988, that seeks a better life for all people without exploiting other people or degrading their environment. We want to encourage and support individuals, businesses and industries to reduce pollution, minimise waste and protect our natural resources.
As a major land steward at the edge of the Great Rift Valley, the Gallmann Africa Conservancy / the Gallmann Memorial Foundation is dedicated to creative, sustainable conservation – People and wildlife flourishing together, through research, education and the arts.
The GMF/GAC is a non-for-profit charitable organization active in Ol ari Nyiro, Laikipia Nature Conservancy, West Laikipia, Northern Kenya. It was created by Kuki Gallmann to honour the memory of Paolo Gallmann and Emanuele Pirri-Gallmann -her husband and son- who both died tragically in Africa, and are buried in Ol ari Nyiro.
The Gallmann Memorial Foundation in Ol Ari Nyiro on Kenya Eastern Rift Valley Laikipia Plateau due to sustained protection of its unique ecosystem and tree cover, and of its underground waters and natural springs -and of its varied topography- ARI NYIRO, IMPORTANT BIRD AREA (IBA) and KEY BIODIVERSITY AREA (KBA) no 064, is now uploaded officially in Birdlife International website with following link: http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ol-ari-nyiro-iba-kenya
Suba Environmental Education of Kenya is a Kenyan NGO, funded through Kenya Islands Mission, Inc., a Tennessee State Corporation 501 (c)( 3), founded in 1996 in response to requests of local Kenyans for assistance in addressing their distressing environmental degradation. We are located in greater Suba, along the shores of Lake Victoria.
S.E.E.K. is a grass roots organization which believes that change can only be sustainable from the bottom up as the people themselves understand their problems and initiate and implement solutions. Real abundant life comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ and the faith, hope and love He brings.
S.E.E.K. (K.I.M.) networks with the government and other organizations for optimal results.
SUBA IS A PLACE OF BREATHTAKING NATURAL BEAUTY, and its inhabitants are talented and hospitable. Here lie Ruma National Park, home to the rare Roan Antelope, and the vast Lake Victoria, a great natural resource. This is a land of endless potential
YET IGNORANCE AND LACK OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP HAVE BROUGHT DEVASTATION. People are trapped in a web of hopelessness because of the great environmental degradation.
TROUBLING FACTS OF GREATER SUBA:
- One fourth of its 210,000 inhabitants are orphaned children.
- HIV/AIDS prevalence is 26%
- Life expectancy is 37 years.
- The majority of its people live on 75 cents (U.S.A.) a day or less.
- The rate of unemployment is 40%
- Deforestation has resulted in climate change with an alarming decrease in food production.
- Pollution of Lake Victoria and poor fishing practices have diminished fish populations.
We discover emerging social entrepreneurs and invest deeply in the growth of their ideas and leadership. Over 30 years, we’ve built a broad, dynamic ecosystem to support these leaders as they solve the world’s biggest problems.
The African Biodiversity Network (ABN) is a regional network of individuals and organisations seeking African solutions to the ecological and socio-economic challenges that face the continent. The ABN was first conceived in 1996 in response to growing concern in the region over threats to biodiversity in Africa and the need to develop strong African positions and legal instruments at the national, regional and international level. Currently, ABN has 36 partners drawn from 12 African countries: Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
ABN strives to ignite and nurture a growing network of change agents working passionately at all levels, in the face of injustices and destruction arising from the current industrial development model, to enable resilient local communities to govern their lives and livelihoods rooted in their own social, cultural and ecological diversity. We focus on indigenous knowledge, ecological agriculture and biodiversity related rights, policy and legislation. We pioneer culturally-centred approaches to social and ecological problems in Africa through sharing experiences, co-developing methodologies and creating a united African voice on the continent on these issues.
Africa is at a crossroads, trying to reconcile the conservation and recuperation of its vast cultural and natural heritage and meet the many needs of a growing population. Powerful external forces continue to divert us from solutions that come from within Africa as they push for the privatisation and industrialisation of land, knowledge and biodiversity in the name of poverty alleviation. Together, the African Biodiversity Network is finding innovative and pioneering pathways and solutions to the challenges which face the continent. We thank you for supporting this journey.
he Tanzania Conservation Resource Centre is a non-profit organization which supports researchers and students working in natural resource issues in Tanzania. We have a resource centre in Arusha providing services and information to anyone involved in research and natural resource conservation.
CRC has an office behind the AICC Hospital, on a road opposite the Kibo Palace Hotel. Click here for the map to the office.
CRC is registered as a non-profit organization in Tanzania and in the United States. We rely on contributions from our members as well as in-kind and cash donations from supporting individuals and organizations both locally and internationally.
The Renewables Academy (RENAC), based in Berlin, Germany, is a leading international provider of training and capacity building in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Since 2008, about 5,800 participants from more than 140 countries have attended RENAC programmes.
RENAC delivers customised educational solutions, as well as capacity building and market development services that target the entire market value chains; starting from the setting up of political frameworks, to financing, design and installation, through to operation and maintenance of applications. RENAC transfers know-how on solar thermal energy, photovoltaics, CSP, wind power, bioenergy, hydro power, hybrid technologies, grid integration and energy efficiency.
RENAC clients belong to companies, energy agencies, governmental bodies, NGO’s, associations and educational institutes, among others.
GOGLA is the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry. Established in 2012, GOGLA now represents over 160 members as a neutral, independent, not-for-profit industry association. Our services assist the industry to build sustainable markets and profitable businesses delivering quality, affordable off-grid electricity products and services to as many customers as possible across the developing world.
We believe that with the right support, the off-grid solar market can scale to provide affordable solar power products and services to provide electricity to the 840 million people currently living without energy by 2030, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7. Off-grid solar products and services are also a solution for the estimated 1 billion people with weak grid connections.
The off-grid solar industry needs to deliver quality, affordable products and services to households, businesses and communities in challenging developing markets. It’s a sector that requires coordinated support, the right partnerships, resources, and services to help its businesses scale sustainably and at speed in these complex environments.
Birds of Eden is home to about 220 different types of birds, and more than 3500 birds live in the sanctuary.
Our award winning bird sanctuary provides a forever home where previously caged birds can live a life of free-flight in a habitat as large and natural as is possible.
The feathered inhabitants of the aviary are comprised of a mixture of exotic, as well as African birds. This includes previously caged pets, hand reared and imprinted individuals, which in turn explains why some of our inhabitants, mainly being the parrots, (of which we have 60 different species) are unafraid of human beings and seemingly tame. All new arrivals at Birds of Eden go through a process of rehabilitation before their final release into the main aviary. Most of the birds that arrive at Birds of Eden have a history of being caged in small environments.
Many of the birds we home have never encountered other birds. Therefor the main rehabilitation process involves socialization with other birds in large outdoor pre-release aviaries. Here they are given the chance to build up flight muscles, flight control, i.e. practicing landings, change of direction etc. The rest of the release process is based on instinct and it is rather remarkable – all the birds instinctively know which area of the aviary suits their needs, how and where to look for, and find food, water and shelter from the weather. Species recognition is generally immediate, for e.g. when a new Ringneck is released into the aviary, all the other Ringnecks gather to have a look at the newcomer! Releasing new birds into the main aviary immediately without them going through rehabilitation would be tantamount to running a marathon without any training.
Sadly, we cannot always accept birds which have been pinioned. A pinioned bird is maimed for life, and will never be able to fly in its lifetime again. We are however able to accept a few species such as the cranes, flamingos and even some ducks and geese.
The heartless practice of pinioning is used to ensure that birds cannot fly away. Pinioning is when a section of the wing (the tip) is removed while they are still young. It is an incredibly cruel practice.
The winning factor of Birds of Eden has to be its sheer size. The volume particularly allows for the creation of habitat niches for the large variety of species that find sanctuary here.
In 2005, Richard Leakey outlined to Stony Brook his concept for an institute that could provide the permanent infrastructure to enable year-round research in this remote area of sub-Saharan Africa. The University enthusiastically endorsed the idea of TBI, committing funds for the Stony Brook end of the project. Additional fundraising began in 2006; construction of temporary facilities for a long-term field camp on the east side of Lake Turkana (TBI-Ileret) commenced in 2007; the camp was fully operational by year-end and was the site for the first Kenya-based Human Evolution Workshop in 2008. Construction of the first full field center on the west side of the lake (TBI-Turkwel) was completed in 2012. Construction of permanent facilities at TBI-Ileret commenced in 2012, and is scheduled to be completed in 2016.
Formally, Turkana Basin Institute, Ltd. is the title holder for the fixed assets in Kenya known as TBI-Nairobi, TBI-Turkwel and TBI-Ileret (together known as “TBI Kenya”) and is under an agreement with the Government of Kenya, through the National Museums of Kenya, to serve as a repository for the archaeological and paleontological heritage of the Lake Turkana region.
In 2013, Richard Leakey and Stony Brook University President, Samuel L. Stanley, established the TBI International Advisory Board. Comprised of prominent philanthropists and scientists from around the globe, this group meets twice a year to share ideas and discuss how best to ensure the success and secure the mission of the Institute. This dynamic group has assumed a lead role in TBI’s fundraising efforts through their own generous contributions.
HOPE worldwide Kenya (HWWK) was registered in 1999, although prior to this, a team of Christians from Nairobi Christian Church, a member of the International Churches of Christ, would reach out to and serve the needy through benevolent activities.
These voluntary activities attracted more people to participate and before long the vision translated to an established institution that would carry out the activities in a legal, coordinated and professional manner.
Initially HWWK received financial assistance from Rotarians for Fighting AIDS and Rotary Club of Nairobi East to help vulnerable children in Mukuru with provision of basic education and appropriate nutrition. Rotary Club of Nairobi East supported HWWK to build a Hall in Mukuru Kwa Ruben to serve the community.
HWWK programs were officially launched on 23rd February 2003 in Mukuru Informal Settlement by the then U.S. Ambassador Mr. Johnny Carson. Thus began our work with HIV prevention.
The work of HWWK has been made possible through resources mobilized from various donors and agencies including the U.S. Government, the Global Fund, the Canadian government, The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, Swedish International Development Agency, Shell Oil Products Africa, the Walmart Foundation, trusts, other charities, and individual donors.
L’Institut Africain de Gestion Urbaine (IAGU) est une ONG internationale créée en 1987 dans le but d’appuyer les municipalités et les autorités des villes de l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre à renforcer leurs capacités de planification et de gestion pour améliorer la gouvernance locale, l’environnement et lutter contre la pauvreté.
La mission de l’IAGU est d’accompagner les municipalités de l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre à renforcer leurs capacités de planification et de gestion pour
construire des villes inclusives, prospères et durables.
L’IAGU agit par l’entremise de l’appui technique aux collectivités locales, la diffusion des innovations issues de la recherche et des expérimentations locales, la conduite de missions de prestations de service et de renforcement de capacités. Il exécute son mandat sur la base des demandes formulées et des besoins exprimés par les collectivités locales, les organisations communautaires de base, les agences de coopération et autres acteurs de la gestion urbaine. Il assiste à cet effet en permanence les villes africaines dans l’élaboration, la formulation et la mise en œuvre des stratégies et politiques locales de développement durable.
Il procède par la recherche/action participative, la formation, l’information, l’appui technique et la conduites d’études de faisabilité et sectorielles à travers trois (3) pôles : Planification environnementale, Gestion des Déchets et Agriculture urbaine. Son personnel d’encadrement est constitué de chargés de programme et de chargés de projet qui sont des ingénieurs, des environnementalistes, des géographes-aménagistes, des géomaticiens, des socio-économistes et des sociologues.
L’IAGU est devenu une institution de référence internationale dans les domaines de la planification stratégique environnementale, de la gestion des déchets, du développement durable de l’agriculture urbaine et de la promotion des stratégies d’adaptation aux inondations urbaines. Il conduit des programmes et projets de recherche-action, d’appui technique et de formation sur les problématiques de développement durable des collectivités locales en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre en général, au Sénégal en particulier. Il demeure une organisation professionnelle, performante, reconnue pour son expertise et sa capacité d’innovation dans la formulation des réponses à apporter aux besoins des municipalités et des villes en perpétuelle mutation. Il est accrédité par le Programme des Nations Unies pour l’Environnement (PNUE) et est devenu l’institution d’ancrage de l’UN Habitat en Afrique francophone. L’IAGU travaille aussi en collaboration avec le Centre de Recherches pour le Développement International du Canada (CRDI), le Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement (PNUD), la Banque Mondiale, Cities Alliance, les agences de coopération bilatérale, les agences gouvernementales, les municipalités ainsi que la plupart des acteurs de la gestion urbaine au Sénégal et dans la sous-région.
The 400km electric fence is a conservation tool put in place to help resolve multiple challenges facing the Aberdare Range ecosystem. These challenges included poaching, bush-meat hunting, snaring, illegal logging, charcoal burning and encroachment. These activities, by the 1980’s had almost decimated the population of critically endangered black rhino in the ecosystem.
At the same time, regular crop damage by wildlife, especially elephant, was a major problem for the farmers residing next to the Aberdare protected areas. Encounters between farmers and wildlife occasionally led to human fatalities, and served to heighten tensions between humans and wildlife.
Construction of the fence began in 1989 and was completed in August 2009.
Today, in spite of the dramatic decrease in black rhino number in the 1980s, the ANP still hold a small and genetically viable population of native black rhino. This is largely due to the building of the fence.
To maintain the fence in good working condition, a team of fence scouts based in “Fence Energizer Stations” patrol the fence line daily to carry out maintenance work.
The project is a partnership between Rhino Ark, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the local communities. Rhino Ark and the Kenya Government provided the funds while KWS oversaw the construction work.
Welcome to the Buckminster Fuller Challenge (BFC) archive! Here you will find a comprehensive history of the BFC program and a curated archive of the ‘best of’ entries reviewed by the program from 2007-2017 making visible the vibrancy and dedication of an emerging field of comprehensive, whole-systems designers. This searchable archive is offered as a resource and tool for educators, the design community, and the general public to use to discover the remarkable ideas and successful projects at work in the world today.
ORIGINS AND HISTORIES
In 2010 Fuller Challenge juror David Orr – the esteemed sustainability educator and author – remarked that human civilization has entered the historical equivalent of shooting the dangerous rapids of a treacherous white-water river. With a broken paddle. Blindfolded.
Buckminster Fuller put it in stark relief with this famous question: Are we heading toward Utopia or Oblivion? He challenged his contemporaries to creatively respond to the urgency of this moment by re-framing the crisis as an opportunity pointing to humanity’s “option to make it – to live successfully without compromising the ability for all of life to thrive.”
Fuller demonstrated through his research and design practice that the resources needed for all forms of life on the planet to live in relative peace and prosperity exist. Creatively deployed, these resources are more than enough to raise the standard of living for everybody.
He called for a revolution by design –not political or military – but a revolution driven by the problem-solving creativity of design combined with the empirical demands of science.
Fuller’s practice took a comprehensive approach, starting with the whole; anticipating future trends and needs; employing the scientific method; and aligned with nature’s operating principles. He saw that this way of thinking and doing was to be the future of design. He called his practice design science. And in the 1960’s he launched the Design Science Revolution with an open call to the world’s creative communities “to make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.”
In 2007 The Buckminster Fuller Challenge Prize program reintroduced Bucky’s vision. After extensive research we determined that the development of a competitive prize – an open call to anyone creatively addressing any of the world’s most urgent problems – would enable us to accomplish several goals:
1. honor the legacy of Fuller and create a prestigious program that would encourage innovation and recognize integrity;
2. draw attention and support to the thinkers and doers applying a comprehensive, whole-systems approach to designing solutions to the
great challenges we face today;
3. leverage the power of a prestigious innovation prize to demonstrate the importance of whole systems-thinking and its integral function in design-
thinking;
4. educate a new generation of designers to take up Fuller’s Challenge to transform our world through design, by showcasing world class projects
and celebrating the people behind them”,
Over the program’s ten-year history (2007-2017) the Fuller Challenge attracted thousands of initiatives from across the globe, tackling every conceivable issue facing humanity and the planet today. Each team submitted an application that was subject to a rigorous vetting process in which our esteemed review team and juries invested hundreds of hours of investigation, research, and debate to select our honored entries.
First recognized in 2011 by Metropolis Magazine as “socially responsible design’s highest award”, the program conferred an annual grand prize of
$100,000 to a project that best fulfilled the entrance criteria and embodied what we have called the ‘spirit of the Challenge’. Winning projects are visionary initiatives that address multiple problems simultaneously, and evoke inspiration for others to study and replicate.
The winning team also received with The Omnioculi, a commissioned sculpture created by artist Tom Shannon in collaboration with geodesics expert Joseph Clinton.
While one project was selected as the winner, each year the Fuller Challenge program awarded resources and support to an additional 40-60 projects through our Catalyst Program. These projects typically represented the top 20% of the entry pool and received opportunities for additional funding and investment, pro-bono legal services, fast-track access to accelerator programs, mentorship opportunities, and international press coverage.
The projects included in the archive demonstrate that design can and must be applied to every aspect of the global system, and reveal a groundswell of successful solutions to our most complex and urgent problems.
With an expanded view of design’s scope, we were able to recognize design innovation in places and projects that were unusual and new. And in the process we discovered an extraordinary group of passionate people with an unusual capacity to feel a deep sense of generosity for the future. It is our hope that
history will look back on their sacrifice, commitment and creativity to recognize that these were the trimtabs of our time who navigated us to safer shores, calmer waters, a world that works for all.
On behalf of the Fuller Challenge staff, review team and our generous supporters we thank you for your interest in this project and hope you will enjoy this archive!
-Elizabeth Thompson, Founding Director
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is a Parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Environment. The Agency was established by NESREA (Establishment) Act, 2007, thus repealing the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Act Cap F10 LFN 2004.
The vision of the Agency is to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment for Nigerians, whereas its mission is to inspire personal and collective responsibility in building an environmentally conscious society for the achievement of sustainable development in Nigeria.
The broad mandate of the Agency is to enforce all environmental laws, guidelines, policies, standards and regulations in Nigeria; and to prohibit processes and the use of equipment or technology that undermine environmental quality. It also has responsibility to enforce compliance with provisions of International agreements, protocols, conventions and treaties to which Nigeria is signatory.
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has worked assiduously on the review of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (Establishment) Act, 2007 which was amended this year 2018. The reviewed Act addressed certain observed legislative inadequacies and noticeable drafting errors in the old Act which has continued to stall the operations of the Agency and weaken enforcement measures.
One of the major changes addressed by the amendment is the inclusion of the Federal Ministry of Health in the composition of the Governing Council of the Agency. This is considered overdue considering the very critical and strategic role of the Federal Ministry of Health in public health and environmental matters.
Imperatively the amendment now empowers the Agency to be able to establish and enforce administrative penalties. This will in no small measure strengthen her enforcement measures.
The provision of Section 30 of the Principal Act hitherto was a major impediment in the enforcement drive of the Agency; hence the amendment to enable the Agency’s authorised officer(s) to seal and close down premises or facilities, whose pollution to the environment is of imminent danger to life and property, while an application to the Court for a warrant or order is being sought.
In the old Act provisions on penalties were not deterrent enough as the hands of the Judges were tied to the operational words, “not exceeding”. In the amended Act now the word, “not exceeding” has been replaced with the words “not less than” wherever it appears in the Act, which gives the presiding Judge the latitude to issue out appropriate sanctions to erring facility or person.
The issues on wrong cross-referencing was also addressed in the amendment. This will help in doing away with ambiguity and inconsistencies in the old Act, for instance under Section 31 which provides for offences and penalties made reference to section 3 of the Act which is on the composition of the Governing Council of the Agency.