Mauritania Strives to Combat Climate Change and Achieve Environmental Balance and Sustainable Development

Mauritania is making concerted efforts to address the issue of global warming, aiming to achieve environmental balance and sustainable development. The country has signed numerous international agreements and treaties in this regard.

The Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Mariem Bokay, emphasized that environmental issues are given due consideration in the implementation of various sectoral policies.

Coordination Across Sectors

Bokay highlighted the importance of coordination among sectors involved in environmental matters to successfully implement environmental policies and achieve their goals in preserving the environment and promoting sustainable development, as reported by the Mauritanian News Agency.

She stated that developmental activities are necessary and essential, and thus cannot be halted. However, the ministry’s role is to exert all efforts to ensure that various development operations take into account their environmental impacts.

She affirmed, “Any project that appears to have a significant impact on the environment will not be accepted for implementation by the government,” as per a press release by the Mauritanian News Agency on Monday.

Bokay warned that the ministry has political and legal frameworks to assess the environmental impact of any project through the Environmental Code and the decree related to environmental impact assessment. These regulations determine the project’s impact on the environment, biodiversity, and the overall ecosystem, enabling the formulation of an environmental management plan that outlines necessary measures to address its effects.

The ministry conducts an annual assessment of the environmental situation, employing various inspection and monitoring missions.

Bokay explained that the ministry, during these missions, conducted a census of industrial factories, numbering 150, ensuring their compliance with environmental laws and procedures.

Environmental Police

Minister Bokay emphasized the importance of the law related to environmental police, enabling it to play two fundamental roles: raising awareness and sensitizing citizens and stakeholders, and enforcing laws related to environmental conservation.

She added that the ministry is currently working on legislation related to waste management. The sector has taken several measures to protect the environment, including banning the use of the substance ‘Asianeer.’ Furthermore, a program approved by the Cabinet aims to mitigate environmental impact.

The National Assembly dedicated its public session in Nouakchott, chaired by Sheikh Ould Baye, to listen to Minister Bokay’s responses to an oral question from Deputy Sidi Ahmed Ould Mohamed El Hassan. The question focused on the current state of the environment sector in the country and the measures taken to protect and preserve the environment amid increasing influencing factors.