FUNCTION OF THE ZEMA

               Under the Zanzibar Environmental Management Act No 3 of 2015, the ZEMA has been entrusted with a number of functions to help safeguard the environment. ZEMA can: issue environmental certificates, permits and approvals, undertake environmental monitoring, promote environmental awareness and enforce regulations and standards. See further Section 22(1) of the Environmental Management Act (include link).

The following sections have a role in exercising the ZEMAs’ functions:

• Administration and Finance: Deals with human resources within the ZEMA and matters related to financial administration, mobilization of funds, coordination of cross cutting issues i.e. gender, HIV/AIDS, disability and drugs, prepare the budget, coordinate training for staff etc..
• Enforcement and Compliance: Coordinates the implementation of the Zanzibar Environmental Management Act, manages the implementation of the regulations and ensures compliance with the standards, guidelines and orders relating to environmental conservation, prosecute and handles the cases related to environmental degradation and pollution, including those related to violation of the Zanzibar Environmental Management Act, 2015.
• Environmental Planning and Monitoring: Conducts environmental monitoring that will help to develop better management and protection of environment, monitoring of biodiversity, marine and terrestrial ecosystem, coastal zone management, natural resources and disposal of waste and wastewater, monitors and analyzes the proposed areas for storage and disposal of waste and wastewater in partnership with other stakeholders, prepares guidelines and proposes the locations for destruction of unfit product.
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Coordinates EIA procedures, issues environmental assessment certificates, building capacity to community, public and private institution on EIA, conduct monitoring to ensure compliance of conditions attached with EIA certificates are implemented, and keeping the records of registered EIA/Audit experts/firm eligible for conducting EIA in Zanzibar.
• Environmental Information and Communication: Provides information to the community and other stakeholders regarding the implementation of roles and responsibilities of the ZEMA, receives and responds to environmental complaints, operates the Zanzibar Environmental Information Management System.
• The Office of Authority in Pemba: The main role of this Office is to oversee the implementation of all the Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA) responsibilities in Pemba. The Pemba Authority will have the same sections, with the same responsibility as the ZEMA in Unguja.