Assessing the Effects of Environmental Management, Policy, and Sustainability in the Gambella Region: The Case of Gambella Town

Abstract

This paper has endeavored to assess effects of environment management, policy, and sustainability in the Gambella region, in relation to Gambella town. The research objectives entailed identifying problems related to the town’s environmental management, the measurement of the effects of environmental management, policy, and sustainability, and the review of the regulations and policies by the government of environmental management and efficiency of the roles of the stakeholders in improving the issues of environmental management and sustainability. The current study is based on quantitative and qualitative studies, which are descriptive in character. The sample size of the respondents was 165; the response rate was 95.7, and 4.2 was non-response. The study found that significant issues were being experienced in environmental protection, which involved the government, stakeholders, community, and individuals. These were some of the problems that delayed the appropriate management of the environment in Gambella town. The findings indicate that the effects have both adverse and beneficial effects on environmental protection. Even though the results were positive, some issues caused the impact on the efficiency of environmental management practices and sustainability. The government was already formulated on environmental management and environmental sustainability laws and policies, but these policies and laws had limitations on how they could be implemented and enforced, and this limited their effectiveness in being able to affect the real actions of environmental protection. Environmental protection was highly criticized by the stakeholders.