The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Audit (EA) Training, a 3-week intensive course, began on 13th May 2024. The training is done under an approved National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and the University of Eldoret SES 805 Curriculum.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Thomas Cheruiyot, who was represented by Dr. Nicholas Makau (Director, ODeL) officially opened the training. In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor said that being his first time to preside over EIA/EA training, he was pleased to note that since the inception of the training started over three decades ago, the School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management has consistently offered the training twice every year. He commended the organizers of the training for tirelessly mounting the programme which is one of the best in the region. The Vice-Chancellor thanked the participants for choosing University of Eldoret as their preferred training destination. He particularly expressed his gratitude for the international participants from East and West African countries of Liberia, Gambia and Uganda, noting that EIA/EA Training at the University of Eldoret has now attained the status of an International Training Programme, and in this regard, he requested the resource persons to integrate environmental issues of the home countries of the international participants into the training, so that by the end of training, the participants should have international acquired knowledge and skills of environmental policy formulation and execution.
On key issues of EIA/EA, prof. Cheruiyot noted that training is taking place at the time when East Africa and indeed the rest of the region is experiencing climate change manifested by excessive flooding. The impacts of flooding have been disruptive, as many families have been displaced, lives lost, roads and other infrastructure damaged, buildings submerged, fault lines exposed and farms and crops swept away. Flooding has been facilitated by human activities that include destruction of life support systems through deforestation, encroachment /or building on riparian lands and wetlands. EIA/EA thus is a tool for environmental management, and for prevention of environmental disasters. He told participants that the EIA/EA training is designed to equip them with knowledge and skills on how Environmental issues can be mainstreamed in projects, programme actions and in our daily activities with the objective of achieving sustainable development. He advised the participants to take care of mother nature and avoid short-cuts and other professional misconducts that are likely to place the environment at risk.
The learning outcomes of the training programme, as explained by the Coordinator of the EIA/EA Training Dr. Job K. Ng’etich, involves equipping participants with skills to:
- Prepare/or write EIA study reports,
- Carry out Environment Audits and write EA reports,
- Use EIA as a decision-making tool in project planning and management,
- Mainstream EIA /EA practices in organizations,
- Initiate Eco-friendly projects,
- Form a team and participate in a team, in an EIA process,
- Review EIA/EA Report
The thirty-five (35) participants are drawn from different countries, universities and institutions. The international participants are from Liberia, Gambia and Uganda, The Universities include; Chuka University, Moi University, Mount Kenya University and University of Eldoret while the participants from Institutions and Organizations include; National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Nzoia Sugar Company Limited, Eldoret Water & Sanitation Company Limited (ELDOWAS), North Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency, Health and Wellness CBO, and SMEC International PTY Ltd.
Present at the opening ceremony were Dr. Mark Kiptui, Dean, School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management; Mr. Richard Kering, representing the County Director of Environment (NEMA); Dr. Mary Rono, HoD Environmental Sciences and the EIA/EA Resource Persons.
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