15.7.1 Environmental Policy of Ethiopia (EPE)
This policy, issued in 1997, aims to maintain the health and quality of life of all Ethiopians and to promote sustainable social and economic development. It seeks to do this through the sound management and use of resources and the environment as a whole, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. It considers the rights and obligations of citizens, organisations, and government to safeguard the environment as indicated in the Constitution of Ethiopia. The EPE is a comprehensive document that defines policies for ten separate environmental sectors, covering soil and agriculture, forest and woodland, biodiversity, water, energy, minerals, human settlement, industrial waste, climate change and cultural heritage (FDRE, 1997). It also includes policies for ten cross-sectoral issues that need to be considered for effective implementation: population, community participation, land tenure, land use, social and gender issues, environmental economics, information systems, research, impact assessment, and education.
15.7 Environment policies