Eritrea's Coastal Marine and Island Biodiversity Conservation Project

Urban development plans in the major cities are governed by Urban Development Department of the cities’ administrations or municipalities. Urban
Development Departments oversee whether city plans and buildings are fulfilling major regulations; placing livestock market place and solid waste
disposal site outside of a town, constructing septic tanks for buildings that are not connected to sewerage systems, proper drainage of domestic liquid
waste into septic tanks, dumping of excavated soil and construction wastes in proper places.
Currently the urban development department at a national level is conducting an evaluation assessment of urban developmental activities in the major
cities of Eritrea. This assessment will help in capturing lessons learned over many of the works so far accomplished. It will mainly focus on proposing
the possible integration of multi-organizations which actively involve in developmental activities, in setting up urban plans and laying major
infrastructures such as electric cables, telecommunication lines, water supply and sewerage lines, roads renovation and expansion works.
3.8. Energy and Environmental Issues
Energy as a major environment related endeavor is being properly dealt for its production and management processes in minimizing environmental
disturbances. As part of the effort the Ministry of Energy and Mines has been practically demonstrating its role by participating in the preparation of
the National Environment Management Program for Eritrea (NEMP-E) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) guidelines. Its awareness has
thus helped in the installation of the largest energy producing plant in the country, Hirgigo power plant with acceptable EIA standards.
Electricity Proclamation: (Proclamation No. 141/2004)
The Eritrean Electric Corporation Establishment Proclamation: (Proclamation No. 142/2004)
Currently the ministry is preparing Energy Laws Regulations and Standards to develop an environmentally sound and sustainable energy production
system. Concurrently, efforts are also being made at reducing energy wastage and finding alternative environment friendly sources of energy that can
reduce desertification and air pollution. Researches are resuming on finding ways of utilizing renewable energy in the Eritrean Southern Red Sea
region. The energy department is also conducting researches on solar energy harvest, such as solar heaters and solar cookers.
3.9. Mines and Environmental Issues
Though it is a slowly growing sector in the coastal area, mining is carried out in compliance with the mining legislative body’s theme “ensuring mining
operations in Eritrea lead to the development of national capacity and optimum utilization of resources in an environmentally healthy and safe way”.
Minerals are defined in the Minerals Proclamation (article 2-13) as all natural substances found on the earth’s crust, including salt, mineral water and
geothermal deposits, but excluding petroleum, natural gas and oil shale as defined in petroleum legislation.
State of the Coast Eritrea, 2006-2007 17