EMLI Hosts Consultative Workshop on Draft DENRC Regulations

EMLI Hosts Consultative Workshop on Draft DENRC Regulations

In a significant move to strengthen local environmental governance, the Environmental Management for Livelihood Improvement (EMLI) hosted a consultative workshop aimed at reviewing and refining the draft regulations for District Environment and Natural Resources Committees (DENRCs). The workshop, held at EMLI’s Bwaise facility, brought together key stakeholders from various sectors to provide input into the proposed guidelines that will shape how districts across Uganda manage their environment and natural resources.

This critical stakeholder engagement was convened by the World Wide Fund for Nature – Uganda Country Office (WWF-UCO), in collaboration with EMLI and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) through WWF Sweden.

The DENRCs are provided for under Section 27 of the National Environment Act, Cap 181, which mandates every district in Uganda to establish a dedicated committee for the management of environment and natural resources. These committees are intended to play a pivotal role in ensuring that environmental concerns are mainstreamed into district development planning, enforcement, and community engagement.

Despite the legal requirement, many districts have yet to establish these committees, hindering effective implementation of the Act. According to Kyategeka Rita M., Head of Policy and Advocacy at WWF-UCO, the absence of these structures in many districts has significantly slowed down environmental protection efforts at the local level.

“The meeting enabled stakeholders to review the draft regulations to ensure that they guide the establishment and operations of these committees, which are very pivotal in mainstreaming natural resource management and conservation in the various districts,” she noted.

The workshop served as an inclusive platform for local government representatives, legal experts, environmental practitioners, civil society actors, and policy makers to collaboratively review the draft. Discussions centered around operational clarity, institutional roles, financing mechanisms, capacity building, and mechanisms for transparency and accountability within the DENRC framework.

Eunice Asinguza, Head of Legal at NEMA, expressed appreciation to all participants for their valuable contributions, emphasizing the importance of the workshop in shaping realistic and enforceable guidelines.

“I thank all stakeholders for shaping these draft regulations. Their eventual roll-out across all districts will be a game changer for environment management at local government level,” she said.

This consultative process underscores the collaborative spirit that is necessary to achieve sustainable environmental governance. With continued support from partners such as WWF, SIDA, and national institutions like NEMA, Uganda is taking a proactive step toward ensuring that environmental management becomes a shared responsibility across all levels of governance.

As EMLI continues to champion inclusive, community-centered, and legally grounded approaches to natural resource governance, this workshop marks a significant milestone in bridging the policy-to-practice gap for a greener and more sustainable Uganda.