Energy policy project officials and members of parliament
EU renewable energy cooperation programmed engages parliament on biomass energy policy project
Freetown, Nov. 6 (SLENA) – The Ministry of Energy and the EU with support from the African Renewable Energy Cooperation Program (RECP), has been undertaking a national household energy and commercial biomass energy planning and strategy programme for much of 2013.
In parliament last Wednesday, the project committee was able to engage parliamentarians and the 12 paramount chiefs representing the 12 districts on the biomass project on how to manage the environment.
Giving background information to the project, the Country Team Leader, John Mambu Koroma informed MPs that the project is supported by five European countries to fight against poor management of charcoal and wood burning in the country.
He noted that for the past month a rapid rural appraisal was undertaken in eleven districts, interviewing 300 stakeholders on bush and charcoal burning and how manage and maintain the process of charcoal burning.
He informed parliament that the project is from the ministry of agriculture but owned by the ministry of energy, noting that in engaging the community where there is bush burning it was advised that community be trained on planting of trees and setting up committees to manage the forest.
In his contribution, Dr. Philip Mann, senior Project Manager, African EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme observed that charcoal burning is a big challenge facing the environment and that mechanism has to be put in place to address deforestation by involving all stakeholders in the process.
Mike Bass, Team Leader Sierra Leone Housing Cooking Energy commented on the measures put place to stop the problems affecting the environment while the Deputy Minister of Energy, Martin Bash Kamara expressed appreciation for the project coming to parliament, adding that it was though fit to hold a workshops to inform the general public about the effect of renewable energy on the environment.
SB/HOP/SLENA
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