Africa-Press – Angola. The update of the Law on Environmental Conservation Areas, approved by the Head of State and already published in the Diário da República, on the 4th of this month, guarantees the protection of biological diversity for current and future generations, and the application of sustainable environmental management measures. ecosystems and species.
In the right to explore national parks, the law defines as criteria the customary rules of use and enjoyment for profit and subsistence purposes, exclusivity to explore ecotourism provided for in the Management Plan, rights acquired through the State’s strategic economic activities and construction of infrastructures to support the activity.
According to the same diploma, criteria are considered for the exploration of environmental conservation areas, the use of surface or underground waters as defined in the Legislation on Water Resources, the conclusion of a partnership contract with national or foreign entities, if applicable. , and the contract must be approved by the Ministries of Agriculture and the Environment, as responsible for the sector.
The document also defines as “obligations of the holder of concession rights”, compliance with the terms of the concession contract or license, in particular and the Environmental Legislation in force, Signature of Memorandum of Understanding with the responsible Ministerial Department, within the scope of the State’s strategic economic activities, recognition of customary law and payment of fees due for the exploration rights of Environmental Conservation Areas under contractual terms.
Free access for supervisory or inspection agents to projects owned by them is permitted, subject to the provision of necessary information to the competent authorities, as well as compliance with the Environmental Conservation Areas Management Plan.
The Law defines the recruitment of at least 30 percent of the workforce in the local community and the promotion of professional training, while also requiring compliance with health, safety, protection and hygiene standards at work. Likewise, the diploma clarifies, participation in the financing of social projects for the local community and collaboration in monitoring the use of resources is permitted, and infractions of which the responsible entity is aware must be reported.
The decree also directs the competent ministerial department to adopt and implement plans to prevent, control and combat fires.
Exploration of flora and fauna
The exploration of ecotourism and use of flora and fauna resources by local communities for subsistence is permitted in environmental conservation areas, with the exception of Integral Natural Reserve areas, the diploma reads.
In the national park, it is prohibited to hunt, fish, extract or harvest any natural resource, except for scientific purposes or strategic economic activity of the State, with prior authorization from the competent ministry, or for subsistence, through prior registration of interested parties, with the limits and under the terms defined in applicable legislation.
The Law on Environmental Conservation Areas also allows, exceptionally, the exploration of mineral, oil and gas resources in national parks and Partial and Special Reserves, to be regulated in a separate statute. With regard to the exploration of ecotourism, the diploma states, in article 26, that Environmental Conservation areas, nationwide, must be open to visitors at defined periods and times. Ecotourism, the document emphasizes, must be carried out within the limits set out in the standards of sustainable exploration, compliance with environmental legislation and conservation of natural resources.
The Law clarifies that “all operations resulting in the improvement and preparation of activities, through the use of science and technologies”, are considered inherent to the exploration of ecotourism.
Diploma establishes the reserve of surface for green spaces
The Law on Environmental Conservation Areas confers powers on the Ministry of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing to ensure that in urban development plans, 20 percent of the area to be urbanized is reserved or dedicated to green spaces, in particular the conservation of urban biodiversity.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the diploma states, is responsible for ensuring that in forestry and agrarian development plans, 20 percent of the area to be explored is reserved or granted as biodiversity conservation areas.
In this aspect, the Law emphasizes the attention that must be paid to the terrestrial, coastal or marine landscape altered by the engineering masterpiece, providing particular aesthetic qualities, as well as to the landscape with a strong concentration of nests of birds, mammals or plant species, particularly threatened with extinction.
The Environmental Conservation Areas Law also refers to the terrestrial or coastal landscape, river or lake, where local communities manifest cultural rituals and the isolated urban landscape that preserves samples of plant species that predate the city. The granting of the right to exploit national environmental conservation areas, specifically Natural Reserves and National Parks, is the responsibility of the Holder of Executive Power.
The exploration of ecotourism in national parks, the document reads, is done through a contract valid for up to 15 years, renewable for the same period, while for Natural Reserves, exploration is done through a contract of up to ten years, renewable for the same period. period.
The diploma also states that more than one competitor may be admitted to the right to explore ecotourism, in one of the environmental conservation areas.
Cross-border area
The document establishes the Transfrontier Environmental Conservation Area (ATFCA), through regional and international agreements signed and approved by the competent State bodies, defining that it can be a National Park or Natural Reserve.
The ATFCA, the diploma emphasizes, must be of the same category as that which exists on the other side of the border with the neighboring country, and the body must pursue, as objectives, the conservation of transboundary biological diversity resources; cooperate regionally or internationally in the management of shared resources and contribute to the country’s regional integration. The written information provided by ATFCA to users must, according to the Law, be in Portuguese, followed by a faithful translation into English or French.
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