Regional Guidance and Legislation
Regional Information & Guidance - National Legislation
Regional information and guidance
UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) Website
Promoting regional cooperation for the protection and development of the marine environment of the Wider Caribbean Region.
National Legisation
Bahamas:
- Conservation and Protection of the Physical Landscape of the Bahamas Act 1997 (No. 12 of 1997)
- Local Government Act 1996 (No. 5 of 1996)
- Archipelagic Waters & Maritime Jurisdiction Act 1993 (No. 37 of 1993)
Proposed Legislation and Regulations from BEST website (http://www.best.bs/environ_law.htm)
- Environmental Management Final Draft Legislation
- Non-Government Organizations (NGO) Final Draft Legislation
- Environmental Impact Assessment Final Draft Regulations
- Pollution Control and Waste Management Final Draft Regulations
- Draft National Environmental Policy
Barbados:
- Coastal Zone Management Act 1998 (1998-39)
http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/legis.htm - Shipping Oil Pollution Act 1994 (1994-16) amended in 1997
- Marine Pollution Control Act 1998 (1998-40) found in http://www.pnuma.org/deramb/publicaciones/CaribbeanEnvLaw.pdf (page 11)
- Water Legislation: Water Authority Act Created: 1980
Abstract: The Act provides for the constitution of the Barbados Water Authority as a body corporate. The 38 Sections of the Act are divided into 8 Parts.
Other Important Environmental Legislation:
- National Conservation Commission Act
Created: 1985
Description: Established the National Conservation Commission to, among other things, “conserve the natural beauty, topographic features, historic buildings, sites, and monuments of Barbados.”
Source: http://www.oas.org/dsd/environmentlaw/WaterLaw/Barbados.htm
Belize:
- Environmental Protection Act
- Land Utilization Act subsidiary laws
- Land Utilization Act
- National Lands Act
Source: From final documentation of the MBRS project: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico
Colombia
National Plan of Action 2004-2014: National Program of Research, Evaluation, Prevention, Reduction and Control of Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution (Spanish, pdf, 1.1MB)
Costa Rica:
- Ley de Aguas. L -1634: Ley de Agua Potable
- Ley Orgánica del Ambiente
- Concejo Nacional Ambiental (decreto, D-25562)
- Ley de Biodiversidad
- Ley Forestal
- Reglamento sobre inmisión de contaminantes atmosféricos (decreto No 30221-S)
- T -5566: Convenio sobre la Prevención de la Contaminación del Mar por Vertimiento de Desechos y otras Materias.
- D-19094: Reglamento sobre el Manejo de Basuras
- D-27001: Reglamento para le Manejo de los Desechos Peligrosos Industriales
- D-27378: Reglamento sobre Rellenos Sanitarios.
Source: From CCAD website: http://www.ccad.ws/legislacion.html
Dominica:
Water Legislation:
- Water and Sewerage Act
Act 17 of 1989
Description: This act regulates the Dominica Water and Sewage Company, water abstraction and use, and pollution.
Other Important Environmental Legislation:
- Physical Planning Act N° 5
Pages 1-59
Pages 60-117
Created: 2002
Source: http://www.oas.org/dsd/environmentlaw/WaterLaw/Dominica.htm
- Water Catchment Rules 1995 (11/1995)
Source: http://www.pnuma.org//deramb/publicaciones/CaribbeanEnvLaw.pdf (page 11)
Dominican Republic:
- Ley General sobre Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Law on Environment & Natural Resources)
http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/legis.htm
Also in http://www.ambiente.org.do/
Water Legislation:
- Ley del Domino de las Aguas Terrestres Ley N° 5852 Created: 1962
Last Amended/Revised: 2000
Description: A national law that legislated on water ownership, uses and titles and permits, works on public waters, irrigation districts and associations, and the water police. The National Water Resources Institute (Instituto Nacional de Recursos Hidráulicos), an autonomous state agency under the Ministry of Agriculture (Secretaría de Estado de Agricultura), is responsible for administering, managing, planning, developing, and regulating water resources. A proposal for a new water code (Proyecto de Código de Agua) is before the National Congress (Congreso Nacional). The National Water Resources Institute, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Forestry Directorate (Dirección General Forestal) share responsibility for river basin management and conservation.
Other Important Environmental Legislation:
- Ley General sobre Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
Grenada:
- Water Supply Act Act N° 23 of 1969
Description: A national law that describes the makeup of Central Water Commission and discusses water usage rates, provisions for future works, and punishable offences.
Other Important Environmental Legislation
- Land Development (Control) Act
Act N° 40 Created: 1968
Source: http://www.oas.org/dsd/environmentlaw/WaterLaw/Grenada.htm
Guatemala:
- Ley de Aguas
Ley de Áreas Protegidas - Ley de Protección y Mejoramiento del Medio Ambiente
- Normativa sobre la Política Marco de Gestión Ambiental
- Reformas a la Ley de creación del Ministerio del Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
- Reglamento de evaluación, control y seguimiento ambiental
- Reglamento orgánico interno del Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
Source: From final documentation of the MBRS project: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico
Guyana:
- Environmental Protection Act
- Environmental Protection Act 1996
- Forests Act
- Water and Sewerage Act
http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/legis.htm
Honduras:
- Ley de Aprovechamiento de Aguas Nacionales
- Ley Forestal
- Ley General del Ambiente
Source: From final documentation of the MBRS project: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico
Mexico:
- Ley de Aguas Nacionales
- Ley General de Bienes Nacionales
- Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente
Source: From final documentation of the MBRS project: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico
Panama:
- L-21-86: Creación del Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales Renovables (INRENARE)
- L-41: Ley General del Ambiente
- L-36: Crea Instituto Especializado de Análisis de la Contaminación
- L-1: Ley Forestal
- L-24: Ley de Reforestación
- L-24: Ley de Vida Silvestre
- Trinidad and Tobago:
- Environmental Management Act 2000
- Environmentally Sensitive Species Rules, 2001
- The Forests (Amendment) Act, 1999
Source: http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/legis.htm
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