REMA Director General Juliet Kabera disclosed this on Tuesday, June 30, while briefing the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security on disaster risk reduction strategies.
She said the introduction of drone technology will strengthen environmental monitoring and improve enforcement of regulations on waste management.
'We are introducing new technology, and by the end of August we will have the first drones that will help us monitor those illegally burning waste. This will help us catch those who do it at night,' she said.
Kabera noted that the technology will also be used to detect the burning of hazardous waste, including waste generated by health facilities, which is often difficult to identify through routine inspections.
'There is also hazardous waste that people burn, such as that from health facilities. It is difficult to detect through normal inspections, but technology will help us address that,' she said.
She further highlighted that the deployment of drones is expected to address staffing constraints within the agency's inspection system.
According to Kabera, REMA currently has only 13 environmental inspectors, supported by a broader workforce of about 120 staff members engaged in different projects.
'We will continue strengthening the use of technology, and working with service providers will also help us as we continue to look for sustainable solutions,' she added.
The initiative forms part of broader government efforts to strengthen air quality monitoring and improve compliance with environmental protection laws.
REMA is also working to expand its air pollution monitoring framework beyond vehicle emissions to include industries and other sources of pollution, as part of ongoing measures to reduce air contamination.
In recent years, Rwanda has increasingly adopted drone technology across multiple sectors.
Drones are currently used to monitor illegal mining activities and support the Rwanda National Police in traffic surveillance. They also play a key role in the health sector, delivering blood, medicines, and other medical supplies to health facilities, as well as in agriculture, where they support various field operations.
Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/rwanda-to-deploy-drones-to-curb-illegal-waste-burning/
