Concept note for World Environment Day Celebration 2015
Hosted by the Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management
College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda - Huye campus
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
10:00 am Translation Room, Huye campus
June 5th 2015 is World Environment Day(WED), created by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) as an annual event celebrated globally to promote positive environmental
action and awareness-raisingabout environmental conservation. Here in Rwanda, the 3rd greenest
country in the World, we are proud to celebrate this important day.The role of environment and
natural resources in sustainable development is widely acknowledged in Rwanda. However,
there is still a need to promote understanding of the role of biodiversity and
environmentalconservation for sustainable development as it has a strong contribution to
Rwandan sustainable development and livelihood improvement.World Environment Day is one
of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations (UN) stimulates global awareness of
environmental issues and helps stimulate political attention, public action, and personal
commitment to environmental conservation.
The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet.
Consume with Care”which focuses our attention on the waysthat humanslive on this earthand
how they impact the planet. The theme asks everyone to evaluate his/her consumption habits and
awareness of environmental conservation. The 2015 World Environment Day aims to make a
powerful contribution through:
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Giving a human face to environmental issues
Empowering people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development.
Promoting an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards
environmental issues.
Advocating partnerships which will ensure all nations and people enjoy a safer and more
prosperous future.
The Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management was created to
strengthen sustainable environment initiatives,biodiversity conservation and natural resources
managementfor the support ofRwanda’s sustainable development, maintenance of ecosystem
services, and livelihood improvement.We are excited to collaborate with REMA on this
event.The Center’s mission is to “enhance knowledge of biodiversity and natural resources
management for sustainable development.”The Center is organized around a central Hub, the
Biology Department in the College of Science and Technology at University of Rwanda which
serves as the coordinating body for partners including governmental and non-governmental
organizations involved in biodiversity conservation and natural resources management.
This collaboration between governmental and non-governmental organizations will achieve the
goal of encouraging, enabling and supporting stakeholders to generate and apply knowledge
on Biodiversity and Natural Resources for sustainable development.
Specifically, the Center works to ensure knowledge-based biodiversity conservation and
management of resources by bringing organizations and stakeholders together in collaborative
efforts to achieve biodiversity awareness and conservation, and sustainable natural resources
management. The aim of this coordination is to support the research and management of
biodiversity and natural resources by networking existing institutions and organizations to
collaborate and strengthen outcomes. The Center works in four key areas: education, research
and monitoring, bioprospecting and bioinformatics and achieves results by networking existing
institutions and building capacity among them.
The Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management proposes to
participate in the 2015 World Environment Day. We will participate in the following ways:
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Community work(Umuganda) on Saturday 30th May in collaboration with Huye District
at Kinazi sector where we will create new roads.
Wednesday 03rd June, the CoEB will host the Public Lecture at Huye Campus with
different presentations for REMA, Lecturers, and students from College of Science and
Technology, UR- Huye Campus on the WED’s theme, efficient resource use, Sustainable
livelihoods, green campus initiatives (energy use, waste management), and forest
restoration.
In Rwanda, we are proud to be awarded the third greenest country in the World!This proves well
how Rwandan people, institutions and Government are aware of environmental conservation.
Together with other institutions in Rwanda, the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural
Resources Management will bring people and institutions together for sustainable environment
conservation leading to sustainable life styles of Rwandan people. This will be done through
strong collaboration and partnerships with Rwanda’s environmental and conservation
organizations.