Southwest Councils, CSOs acquire skills on project assessment

Representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Municipal Councils in the Southwest Region, have acquired modern techniques of assessing the environmental and social impacts of projects within their communities.

This was the focus of a three-day symposium organised by the Environmental Governance Institute, EGI in Kumba recently.

The skills, experts say, are needed in the face of fluctuating changes in the ecosystem that are already threatening the peace of the human race.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of CGI, John Takang, the technicalities and challenges involved in projects require expert assessment.

He explained that the civil society and Mayors stand a chance to implant a culture of determining the social and environmental impact of a project if they work together.

Takang averred that the task remains daunting but requires urgent action which, if not taken on time, the consequences will befall the society in the future.

He explained that the capacity building to monitor environmental and social impact assessment of projects and their management plans are needed to expand the network of actors involved. To him, the Councils or one civil society organisation cannot achieve the desired large scale impact.

The EGI CEO told The Post that, after the training exercise, the Councils and Non-GovernmentalOrganisations, NGOs, will jointly carry out similar projects. The concept, he argued, is to put the knowledge into practice.

According to seminar facilitator, Professor DieudonneBitondo, Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, is gradually gaining ground in the Cameroonian society. Bitondo stated that the issue remains critical, given that the anticipated benefit or consequences of a project in any given environment must be known before work starts.

He observed that, though project promoters fund the evaluations, CSOs and local collectivities must not fall to the temptation of putting monetary interest over the benefits of a whole community.

The resource person explained that projects left unchecked sometimes distabilise an entire community, its water system, forest or way of life.

He advised that no project, no matter how small, should be ignored.

Hans Njomo, an official of the Southwest Delegation of Environment, said the training was primordial, given the importance of participatory development.

Njomo explained that steps in assessment, such as public hearings, give communities the chance to either reject or approve them and equally offers them the platform to know if solutions to anticipated worries have been addressed.

Southwest Regional Delegate of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, Set Ekwodi, averred that the workshop will help communities, the public and civil society to best understand management plans.

To him, they will also reach out and check fraud where the administration is limited.

EtongoNgandeMukete, a participant from the Limbe III Council, observed that the knowledge acquired from the training will solve problems associated with community projects.

Mukete said the Council and its community will benefit in terms of the change of approach in executing some projects.