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II. NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
[ II | II-A | II-B | II-C | II-D | II-E | II-F | II-G | II-H ]
C. Interdepartmental Environment Committee
IDEC was established in 1987, on the recommendation of ESCAP, during the Fifth Development Plan, 1985-1990. It is chaired by the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources, with the other sitting members taken from the Ministry of Health; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry; Ministry of Works; and the Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industries. The selection of those ministries over others reflects the nature of environmental issues necessitating a cross-sectoral approach.
One of the key tasks of IDEC was to oversee the preparation of an EMP. The role of IDEC was to coordinate the preparation of the Development Plan and compile and review the necessary documentation. The "Environmental Management Plan for the Kingdom of Tonga", published in 1990 with ESCAP assistance, described the existing environmental problems and recommended solutions.
In 1992, IDEC was also entrusted with the development of the National Environmental Management Strategies. (NEMS). The result was an Action Strategy (part of the NEMS process), entitled "The Kingdom of Tonga: Action Strategy for Managing the Environment", (Thistlewaite R, D. Sheppard and N. Prescott, 1993) which was prepared by SPREP with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Action Strategy outlined the major environmental issues faced by Tonga and identified the steps required to address those issues. Several programmes were identified and proposed as a remedy for the perceived environmental constraints.
IDEC has no administrative capacity to oversee implementation of environmental strategies and programmes other than through the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources. It is not active and tends to be called into session only when urgency dictates, such as for the discussion of particular and selected key environmental issues.
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