Malawian delegation visit reinforces ‘one planet’ approach to environmental regulation
13 July 2018
The Malawian Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development visited SEPA’s Edinburgh office on Friday 13 July to discuss how partnership working through the Hydro Nation can help tackle the 21st century challenges facing our environment.
- Malawian Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development met experts from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Edinburgh.
- Working in partnership on a global scale will help tackle 21st century environmental challenges facing our planet.
- Builds on commitment made between Republic of Malawi and Scotland to increase cooperation on environmental sustainability.
SEPA’s environmental experts, led by Director Allan Reid, shared the agency’s knowledge and vision for developing and encouraging sustainable solutions to environmental challenges with the Honourable Joseph Mathyola Nakari Mwanamvekha.
The visit follows the signing of the Global Goals Partnership Agreement by the President of the Republic of Malawi and Scotland’s First Minister in April, on behalf of their Governments, committing both countries to realise the United Nations global development goals by increasing cooperation on a range of areas including on environmental sustainability. The 2018 Agreement updated the formal agreement between the two Governments for the Sustainable Development Goals era, replacing their original 2005 Cooperation Agreement.
To help create a prosperous Scotland that lives within the means of our one planet SEPA has transformed its approach to regulation for the 21st century.
As environmental challenges and climate change are not confined within international boundaries the agency is working with partners on a global scale to share its expertise and develop a one planet economy. This is at the core of SEPA’s regulatory strategy, One Planet Prosperity. Only those businesses, societies and nations that have developed ways to manage their water, waste, materials and carbon-based energy consumption will thrive.
Terry A’Hearn, SEPA’s Chief Executive, said:
It is a pleasure to welcome the Malawian Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development to our Edinburgh office to share our expertise on how we can tackle the 21st century challenges facing our planet together.
“Sustainability does not have borders and to solve today’s biggest environmental problems it is critical that all nations work together. The world requires increasingly sophisticated solutions to today’s complex environmental challenges, and Scotland is aiming to be a world leader in environmental protection on the global stage, establishing lasting relationships and sharing best practice with other nations.
“Like Scotland, SEPA is small enough to organise itself to deliver effectively, but large enough to have a real impact not just nationally, but globally too. We are transforming our approach to create a world-class environment protection agency fit for the challenges of tomorrow. By embracing opportunities to work with others with a global voice and reach we can help make our voice heard and our vision real.
“We look forward to working further with the Government of Malawi in partnership with the Scottish Government and the University of Strathclyde to help increase sustainability on a global scale.”
Professor Robert M Kalin, Professor of Environmental Engineering for Sustainability at the University of Strathclyde said:
The University of Strathclyde, through the Climate Justice Fund Water Futures Programme, aims to support the Government of Malawi to achieve clean water and sanitation for all people.
“We will continue to collaborate with our ‘Team Scotland’ partners SEPA and Scottish Water International, and our other partners in Scotland and Malawi, to implement work streams around water asset management, policy exchange, capacity building, and research and knowledge exchange.”
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