By Friday Simbaya, Njombe
ENVIRONMENTAL stakeholders are advised to protect the environment even after donors have pullout because the breakdown of the shovel is not the end of a blacksmith.
The statement was issued by the community development officers (CDOs) from WWF-Tanzania, Martha Sanga and Evergris Makfura, while closing a workshop of stakeholders of management of water resources and the environment in Makambako, Njombe region.
They said at different times that citizens, stakeholders and environmentalists should continue even after the program expires, because environmental protection is everyone's responsibility.
They said that the issue of the management of water resources and environment is not for donors, but it is everyone's responsibility to ensure environmental preserved.
WWF through its Ruaha Water Program (RWP) in collaboration with the Rufiji Basin Water Board (RBWB), district councils, citizens and environmental stakeholders implemented a five-year project of the management of water resources and environment, which aimed at restoring the state of the Great Ruaha River so the river water can flow throughout the year.
Martha and Makfura said the struggle still in the preservation of water resources and environment continues even without s donors.
The workshop focused on assessing the activities implemented by various stakeholders in the environment for a period of five years was coordinated by the WWF through its Ruaha Water Program in conjunction with the RBWB.
Officials from WWF Tanzania through its Water Program Ruaha have urged stakeholders to preserve the environment and water resources by using the concept of inclusion.
They said that the Government has put legal framework as well as the adoption of the law of the Environment (2004), the release of water policy (July 2002) and the Law of Management of Water Resources No. 11 of 2009.
Roy Kadege, who is also an accountant from one Water Users Association (WUA) in small river basin of Mpando in Wanging'ombe district, Njombe Region, said that the community will ensure that they regulates the whole issue of the management of water resources and the environment.
She said that although the project expires, they will continue to provide education on environmental protection in the area, hence protect the catchment.
She said that through the Ruaha Water program, the neighborhood of water users managed to provide education management of water resources and the environment in 20 villages surrounding the small valley of the Mpando River.
Kadege said that after the existence of the project they have been able to take care of water sources and restoring of River Mbarali in Mbeya region.
“The river was almost drying up due to various economic activities which was unsustainable but the presence of the project we have preserved the environment,” said Kadege.
And also Adamson Msigala, who is also chairman of the water users of Mpando river basin said that in order the exercise of management of water resources and the environment to be sustainable district councils should does allocate funds in their budgets for activities of environmental protection rather than relying donors.
He said that the poverty should not be a criterion to destroy environmental but people should work together and preserve the environment.
Msigala added that when they the WWF project came for the first time, they find it difficult to understand because they were used to cultivate the sources of water.
For his part, the District Wanging'ombe Community Development Officer, Njombe Region Michael Haule, who is also a district facilitating team (DFT) commended the WWF through the Ruaha Water Program and the Rufiji Basin Water Board (RBWB) for linking environmental stakeholders in order to their plans together.
He suggested also that in the future when there is such workshops involve the security forces and the courts to be able to identify water users associations that exist legally.
Haule said that without the involvement of these people, management of water resources and the environment will be tough because there will be interference between them and water users associations.
He said that there are times when certain water users associations arrested environmental destruction culprits of water sources but when taken to the police were released on the ground that their not law that galvanizes that issue.
He added that the RBWB meetings should make sure they invited anti-corruption institutions (PCCB), the police and the courts in order to identify the work of water users to fully manage the whole issue of water resources and the environment.
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