Service Contract No 2007 / 147-446 Strategic ... - Swaziland

Institutional ActorMinistry of NaturalResources andEnergy (MNRE)Description / relevance to the NASThe MNRE is responsible for the development, use and management of thecountry's natural resources (water, minerals, energy and land) in asustainable manner, with minimal damage to the environment.More specifically its objectives include: to provide and maintain facilities forensuring availability of adequate energy and water; to implement policy toensure optimal land use; to provide surveys, mapping and valuation ofrelated services for the government; to locate, identify and provide propermanagement of minerals and groundwater resources; and to promoteSwaziland's national interests in natural resources internationally.The Ministry’s portfolios include:• Energy, Power Generation and Management• Water Resources Development• Land Resources, Acquisition and Allocation; Land Consolidation; LandValuation; Land Surveys (Cadastral); Land Control Board• Farm Dwellers ActThe Energy Department administers the energy sector through:• The Conventional Fuels Unit deals with issues relating to sources ofenergy that are non-renewable, including electricity. The general functionsof this Unit are to co-ordinate and supervise SEB, improve accessibility toelectricity, implement the Energy Policy, and develop a nationalelectrification programme. The Unit is also tasked with the planning ofrural electrification, and chairs the Select Committee on RuralElectrification (SCORE), a committee representing stakeholders withinterests in rural development.• The Renewable Energy Unit deals with New and Renewable Sources ofEnergy (NRSE), such as energy harnessed from biomass and biogas. Itco-ordinates and advises the Renewable Energy Association ofSwaziland (REASWA). The unit is conducting a feasibility study onfarming for energy, to determine the land/crops suitable for the productionof biodiesel, and to investigate the required investment to producebiodiesel for the Swaziland market (including export). The Unit isresponsible for gender issues in the energy sector.• The Rural Electrification Unit is responsible for projects undertaken inrural electrification that target schools, health care facilities and othergovernment institutions as a priority.• The Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC) is tasked with providing areliable power supply to the nation.The Department of Water Affairs has:• a Water Resources Branch• Dam Operations and Maintenance, whose function includes the properrelease of water to satisfy downstream users and the ecologicalenvironment;• a Hydrology Section, whose function includes to collect, process andanalyse river flow data to enable the implementation of water resourcesprojects, and to guide water resources management strategies; andRDMU (Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Adaptation Strategy) - Page 143