Environment and Conservation Division
The Environment and Conservation Division (ECD) is a mandatory authority for the Government of Kiribati to safeguard the natural environment; air, water, land – upon which life depends, and to protect human health.
The Environment Act 1999 (2007 amendments) provides various function of the ECD including the following;
- protect, restore and enhance the quality of the environment of Kiribati, balanced against the need to promote sustainable development;
- develop, establish and administer systems of prevention and control of pollution in both the industrial and non-industrial sectors, and to monitor through environmental auditing;
- assist in developing legislation for systems of environmental planning at national, provincial and local level, and the development of national, provincial and local environment plans;
- collaborate with relevant public authorities in assisting in the conservation and management of areas of national and international significance;
- promote the participation of the community in environmental decision making;
- ensure freedom of and access to information on environmental matters, and in particular to ensure that the community has access to relevant information about hazardous substances arising from, or stored, used or sold by any industry or public authority, private person or private enterprise or any other person;
- conduct public education and awareness programmes about the environment;
- promote the study of the environment through research, surveys, listing and classification.
- to comply with and give effect to regional and international conventions and obligations relating to the environment