Role of NEMA in facilitating RCE operations in Kenya

1. Role of NEMA in facilitating RCE operations in Kenya By Dr AyubNdaruga Director, Environmental Education, Information and Public Participation, NEMA-Kenya

2. How can a national government authority engage RCEs in national sustainability processes?

3. Why is NEMA interested in working with RCEs?

4. Legal requirement EMCA 1999 section 9(2)m mandates the Authority to – • undertake, in co-operation with relevant lead agencies, programmes intended to enhance environmental education and public awareness about the need for sound environmental management as well as for enlisting public support and encouraging the effort made by other entities in that regard

5. Role of NEMA in establishment of RCEs • Development of ESD strategy started in 2003 and finalized in 2007 • 8 strategies of implementing Kenya ESD strategy one of which is RCEs • 1st RCE launched in 2007 – RCE Greater Nairobi • 2008 – NEMA visited 22 ministries and universities selling the idea of RCEs • NEMA includes targets in the annual workplan to establish RCEs

6. How can a national government authority support local RCE actions?

7. How does NEMA encourage development of RCEs? • Wrote to universities requesting for a meeting to explain RCE concept • Letter sent to the Vice chancellor with intention to lobby at highest level to secure whole school approach • Action sometimes delegated to a senior member of staff • Training on ESD concept and RCEs done to university staff and local stakeholders • After the training, NEMA could announce the University as an RCE • Ideally, Kenya has 9 RCE’s but only 3 acknowledged by UNU • The universities are guided on how to engage UNU for acknowledgement

8. To strengthen engagement of national policy makers with RCEs, what are the major challenges and opportunities, and how do you intend to tackle or address them?

9. Opportunities • Capacity in universities in terms of human capital – lecturers, students • Mandate – Training, Research/innovation and community outreach • Sustainability issues to be addressed • Flexibility of university systems • Multiple stakeholders doing things at local level including government, private sector, and CSOs

10. Challenges • Governance – NEMA useful in conflict resolution • Dormancy • Recruitment of partners • Team management • Fundraising • Linkage between learning and action

11. Challenges cont’d • Thinking globally and acting locally • Linkage with government and private sector initiatives • RCE action plans

12. How NEMA addresses the challenges • Devolved contact persons from NEMA • Encouragement and reminders to RCEs • Policy development • Capturing RCE activities in NEMA workplans • Meeting with RCE coordinators • Capacity building and mentoring for upcoming RCEs • Funding some RCE activities e.g. botanic garden, solid waste project, e-waste project

13. Interventions cont’d • Annual RCE conference • Roping in of policy makers and other project initiatives to RCE activities • Quarterly monitoring and evaluation by NEMA

14. Conclusion • RCEs have great potential to address sustainability issues • RCEs face numerous challenges • NEMA is committed to making the RCEs operational • Main role played by NEMA is national coordination, capacity building and funding some projects

15. End