West and Central Africa regional environmental law study

This report presents baseline data on national, state, local, and customary environmental laws as background for efforts at legal reform. Section 2 provides an overview of the legal environment, while Section 3 examines the type of deficiencies common to environmental laws in the region and the reason these laws have not been effectively enforced. Section 4 provides an overview of the lawmaking process and the roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government in this process. Section 5 examines the management framework and institutional arrangements for environmental protection and natural resource management, the public"s role via community groups and NGOs, and environmental impact assessment requirements. Section 6, the lengthiest, provides a country-specific survey of the status of environmental laws and their enforcement (including recommendations for improvement) in regard to land, water, plants and animals, waste disposal, hazardous and toxic substances, fertilizer and pesticides, mining, energy, and industry. The countries covered include Ghana, Nigeria, The Gambia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. Section 7 identifies policy and legal reforms these countries could undertake and the type of institutional strengthening required. It reviews initiatives to promote public participation and opportunities for environmental education and training and concludes with a discussion of regulatory and enforcement mechanisms. The recommendations are generic in nature and will need to be tailored to the needs and conditions in each country. (Author abstract, modified)