National Plan

Environmental Impact Assessment

Public Participation

Political and Public Awareness

Land and Resources Planning

Economic Evaluation of Environmental Issues

Human Resources Capacities

Limited Financial Resource

Human Resources Capacities

Issue

Staff complements and capacities are often very limited in national environmental and natural resources ministries and grossly inadequate in national economic and investment planning ministries and at the provincial and local levels.

Background

Natural resources and environmental management are relatively new concepts in the region which has benefited from a rich natural heritage. What management there was in these fields was aimed at increasing the harvest, e.g., of forests, of fisheries, and from agriculture, and no regard was paid to the use or availability of water or energy. Attention was not paid to sustainability. 

It is only with the increasing stresses of rapid population expansion, urbanization and economic growth that NRE issues have become important. Until recently, there has, therefore, been low demand for NRE management skills and supply was simply lacking. Education systems and ministry and other recruitment processes have not caught up.

Co-ordination across ministries and agencies, crucial in NRE management, and integrated decision making, is very weak. Separate ministries/agencies with strong vested powers, not only have little or no incentive to work with other ministries/agencies but also have poor knowledge of NRE issues and limited understanding of their role in sustainable development. 

In order to ensure that adequate human resources are available to address NRE issues, recruitment and training of NRE managers is of increasing importance. 

There is a need to ensure that all key ministries have in-house capacities to assess and manage NRE issues.