EMA striving to protect Zimbabwe’s environment Origins of EMA
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 01:00
The Environmental Management Agency is a statutory body which was established in terms of the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27] of 2002.
It is a parastatal in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management and was established to ensure sustainable utilisation and protection of Zimbabwe’s environmental goods and services.
EMA is a hybrid organisation where the former Department of Natural Resources was merged with the Water Pollution Control Unit from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, the Air Pollution Control Unit and the Hazardous Substances Control Unit, both from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.
It became fully operational in January 2007 and it derives its mandate from the Environmental Management Act (Cap 20:27).
EMA strives to protect the environment with people in mind and for the people so that there is a clean and healthy environment, which is not harmful.
Vision
The vision of the Agency is to become a world-class lead agency in sustainable and integrated environmental management.
The intention is to provide world- class service delivery across the spectrum of stakeholders.
Mission
EMA is a socially responsive environmental service delivery institution whose mission is to promote sustainable management of natural resources and the protection of the environment with stakeholder participation.
Core Values
In order to achieve its vision, EMA has core values upon which all interactions with stakeholders are based.
These are integrity, timeous response, upholding stakeholder participation and unhu/ubuntu.
· The agency expects the highest standards of integrity from both its employees and the public in any transactions made.
· EMA expects to respond to issues raised by any of its stakeholders in the shortest possible time.
EMA responds timeously to all environmental queries and complaints regardless of magnitude or scale. The value that EMA places on its stakeholders cannot be
· underestimated.
· Unhu/Ubuntu is the essence of humanity and EMA has vested interest in upholding this core value.
· EMA expects to uphold local traditional values in all its areas of operation. This includes working with local leadership and local people by enhancing local customs that enrich the environment. With these core values, the agency shall be able to achieve its vision of becoming a world class lead agency in environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources.
Stakeholders
EMA’s stakeholders include industrialists, farmers, NGOs, miners, government departments, parastatals, traditional leaders, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, school children, individuals an all other citizens.
These stakeholders represent the entire societal and economic spectrum of the country and EMA ensures that all stakeholder concerns are considered as this is one of the principles of the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27).
The success of the organisation and the environmental movement in the country is strongly entrenched in an active stakeholder movement.
EMA does not know it all, neither does it have all the answers, hence stakeholders’ inputs are critical and important.
Structure of EMA
Operationally, EMA has three departments namely, Environmental Management Services, Environmental Protection as well as Finance and Administration.
The EMS department is socially constructed, as it is responsible for publicity, environmental education and awareness as well as planning and implementation of community projects and programs.
It deals with people’s challenges with regards to the env
ironment and ensures that all stakeholders are brought on board in protecting the environment.
Conversely, the EP department is concerned with enforcing the law and is the inspectorate.
While there is a
thrust towards awareness, enforcement is needed to have a deterrent effect.
The EP departme
nt therefore creates a delicate balance between environmental education on one side and non-compliance to environmental laws on the other.
Conclusion
EMA is a public institution and it is in the best interest of all that people are aware what it does and free to come up with suggestions and ideas for the protection of the environment.
For comments and feedback, SMS to 0773 404 779. Email: [email protected]