KIGALI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- An eastern Africa regional workshop on e-waste management kicked off here Monday to to discuss effective electronic waste management and develop strategies to reach zero negative impact of e-waste in the East African Communications Organization (EACO) member states by 2030.
The three-day event being held in the Rwandan capital Kigali was organized by the EACO, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), and an environmental organization, Enviroserve Rwanda.
Participants include policymakers, environmental experts and telecommunication companies and other interested parties from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi.
"The private sector needs to be involved in e-waste management as far as the environmental protection is concerned," said Faustin Munyazikwiye, the deputy director general of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), at the opening of the workshop.
The participants will seek to promote a multi-stakeholder collaboration on e-waste and provide sustainable ways to manage such waste in the region, according to Ally Yahaya Simba, executive secretary of EACO.
A statement issued to the media by RURA said the workshop will evaluate the status of the regional strategy on e-waste management.
E-waste is already a serious problem in many countries around the world, RURA said in a statement. Not only does e-waste cause significant damage to our natural environment, but it also severely threatens the health and well-being of people, the statement said.
Experts say there is need to advance electronic and electrical waste management and support strategies to protect more than 150 million citizens of East African Community member countries from the dangers of e-waste.
