The Draft National Environment Policy (NEP)

This is a draft National Environment Policy and although many of the policy statements are derived from the Swaziland Environmental Action Plan (SEAP), this is a working document and not a formal policy document. As such it should not be interpreted as the policy of the Swaziland Environment Authority, the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Communications, or of the Government of Swaziland until it has been finally agreed and adopted by Cabinet as a national policy.

7. INSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK

7.1 Rationalising existing structures

All aspects of the environment of Swaziland are inter-related and cannot be separated. For historical and practical reasons the administration of environmental and natural resource management has been divided among a number of different governmental and traditional authorities.

However it is now clear that the administration of environmental and natural resource management in Swaziland could be improved by rationalising the current administrative framework and using the resources which this makes available, to strengthen the core institutions. The Central Rural Development Board and the Natural Resources Board have historically played an important role in coordinating natural resource and environmental management, the CRDB in Swazi Nation Land and the NRB in the rest of the country.

However the SEA now has the overall mandate to co-ordinate environmental management in the country and the distinction between Swazi Nation land and other land makes little sense from an environmental perspective. For these reasons the Government intends to explore ways of merging these three bodies. The Swaziland National Trust Commission (SNTC) has responsibility for protecting wildlife and sites of cultural and historic importance within game reserves and other formally protected areas, whereas the SEA is responsible for the protection of biological diversity and environmental protection in the rest of the country. This division of responsibility is anomalous and the Government intends to introduce legislative and administrative changes to rationalise responsibility in this area.

7.2 Strengthening the SEA

The SEA is, and will continue to be, the central institution in the national environmental management system. For this reason, one of the central objectives of the NEP is to expand and strengthen the SEA and its capacity to implement and enforce environmental laws.

7.3 National Environment Fund

The Government also proposes establishing a national environmental fund to provide additional financial support for environmental management in Swaziland. Funds generated through charging users for benefits or fines for polluting or degrading, the environment will be used to to develop a National Environment Fund (NEF). This will be used to support activities that redress environmental degradation or enhance environmental management.

7.4 Environmental Information System

Good environmental management relies on having access to good data and information. Making environmental information accessible is also an essential precondition to effective public participation in environmental management. As a result the Government will seek to establish integrated information systems which enable both Government planners and regulators, and the public, to have access to reliable information on the natural resources and environment of Swaziland. Establishing an effective environmental information system will also enable the SEA to periodically prepare State of the Environment Reports which will be an important way of monitoring the extent to which the NEP is proving successful.