HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE BUREAU
The Bureau of Environmental Protection and Rural Land Administration is one of the Regional Cabinet Bureaus, and was first established as: – the Bureau of Environment, Forests & Climate Change on 10/11/2011 under the Proclamation Number of 185/2011 E.C. and in the year of 2014 E.C. it was decided At Cabinet level to be expanded & included the Rural Land Administration Department.
The Bureau is dedicated to the Protection of the Environment, the Development and Utilization of Forests, the conservation of Biodiversity, the development of Adaptation Plans for the Impact of Climate Change & setting Rural Land Management Policy and, ultimately Monitoring the Economic, Cultural, Social & Political changes of Societies especially those Affected by Climate Change, and conveying Development & Good Governance.
The Bureau participates in and continues to participate in the National Forums, & presents a comprehensive overview of the causes of Climate Change, the recurrent droughts and how to deal with through the creation of a Climate Resilient Green Economy, makes Assessment / Research on the Negative and Positive Impact of Projects on the Community and the Environment, Issuing Legislation / Laws & Declaration on Deforestation & Illegal trade of Charcoal, combating illegal trade & wildlife poaching, enforcing rural land use laws by providing the rural community with a legal document that they can use & benefit for the lands they cultivate or those that have not been used before.
The Bureau also makes study on the care of Degraded Areas and the Rehabilitation of flood-damaged areas by establishing Nursery Sites and Planting different plant seeds to make it fruit full the implementation of the Regional and National Green Legacy Program.
Cognizant to this, therefore, the Regional Government has proposed to plan a ten-year strategic document that identifies the key Environmental, Forest and Biodiversity issues to be addressed and presents analytical perspectives for key strategic interventions and Pillars of the three subsectors. And hence, these three pillars will pave the way for identifying the best possible strategy to adapt the ever-changing global climate so that a resilient system and society is achieved by the end of 2025. Despite being a newly established organization, however, the Regional EPRLAB has conducted several activities that is depicted in its annual work plan.
Accordingly, it has undertaken various activities to Monitor and Control Environmental Pollution and Wastes. When preparing the Bureau’s plans, it is mainly based on the Mission, Vision, Values, Strategic Issues and the Performance of the previous fiscal year plans of the Bureau.