The Foundation for Environment and Development (FEDEV) has drilled council authorities in the Northwest Region on Plastic Waste Management: Laws, Policies and Actions.
This was during a workshop that held under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development and in partnership with Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (E-LAW); United Cities and Councils of Cameroon (UCCC) and the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development.
The two-day training for Councils workers held at the conference hall of the Northwest Regional Assembly on June 8 and June 9.
Participants were representatives from Municipal Councils and the Regional Assembly. They were effectively schooled on state policies and actions in tackling plastic waste management.
They also gained knowledge on the role of local government authorities in plastic waste management, and the need for local Councils to mainstream plastic waste management policies in their development plans.
The role of women in plastic waste management was also discussed, and Councils were told to develop a plastic waste management policy and help to enforce plastic waste-related laws in Cameroon.
FEDEV has been working on Plastic justice and the project embodies research on plastic laws; monitoring and reporting plastic pollution cases; engaging relevant stakeholders in the fight against plastic pollution; holding plastic polluters accountable for their Environmental footprints and using advocacy and the law to fight against plastic pollution.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Barrister Justice Nchunu Sama, said: “Local authorities in Cameroon are statutorily responsible for environmental clean-up, sanitary inspection, waste management, spatial planning and the fight against pollution within their respective municipalities.”
He added: “But with the rising amount of waste garbage in our municipalities, we realised that the councils are not engaging adequate action to combat plastic pollution and we realised that some councils are not aware of the provision of the law in relation to plastic waste management and that is the major drive of the workshop.”
Among the experts who schooled local authorities at the workshop were Barrister Justice Nchunu Sama; Barrister Olivia Tamon; Justice Ignatius Fon Mbafor; Barrister Owen Achuh; Pius Mbah Mbole and Barrister Electha Bih Tawah.
During the two-day workshop, one Council from each Division of the Northwest presented their experiences and practices on handling plastic waste. The exercise was very enriching as they learned from each other.
Tubah and Nkambe councils were applauded for their outstanding projects towards plastic waste management and others were encouraged to emulate and partner with them in order to combat plastic waste management.
The workshop ended with group sessions in which participants presented their challenges and recommendations in relation to waste management. All the participants, through their UCCC president, Denis Ndang, unanimously agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with FEDEV aimed to combat plastic waste in the Region.
By Etienne Nfor Liboh
