Powers and Duties

The major Duties and Responsibilities of the of the Bureau as stated in the Proclamation No. 185/2011 are as follows: 

• Coordinate activities to ensure that the environmental objectives provided under the Constitution and the basic principles set out in the Environmental Policy of the Region are realized;
• Establish a system and follow up implementation for undertaking Environmental Impact Assessment or Strategic Environmental Assessment on social and economic development polices, strategies, laws, programs and project set by the government or Privet;
• Prepare a mechanism that promotes social, economic and environmental justice and channel the major part of benefit derived thereof to the affected communities to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that would otherwise have resulted from deforestation and forest degradation;
• Coordinate actions on soliciting the resources required for building a climate resilient green economy in all sectors and at all Zonal levels; as well as provide capacity building support and advisory services;
• Establish a system for evaluating and decision making, in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Proclamation, the impacts of implementation of investment programs and projects on environment prior to approvals of their implementation by the concerned sectoral licensing organ or the concerned organ;
• Prepare programmes and directives for the synergistic implementation and follow up of environmental agreements ratified by Ethiopia pertaining to the natural resources base, desertification, forests, hazardous chemicals, industrial wastes and anthropogenic environmental hazards with the objective of avoiding overlaps, wastage of resources and gaps during their implementation in all sectors and at all governance levels;
• Take part in the negotiations of National Environmental and Climate Change Agreements and, as appropriate, initiate a process of their ratification; play key role in coordinating the nationwide responses to the agreements;
• Coordinate, and as may be appropriate, carry out research and technology transfer activities that promotes the sustainability of the environment and the conservation and use of forest as well as the equitable sharing of benefits accruing from them while creating opportunities for green jobs;
• Establish a system for development and utilization of small- and large-scale forest including bamboo on private, communal and watershed areas, and ensure implementation of same;
• Establish a system to rehabilitate degraded forest lands and ensure its implementation to enhance their environmental and economic benefits.