DEFEND THE ENVIROMENT

ቁም ለአካባቢ

We strive for the environmental justice !!!

ለአካባቢያዊ ፍትህ እንተጋለን !!!

Who we are

Defend the Environment is a board-led Civic Society Organization – CSO established to defend the environment via various strategies and mechanisms, and through environmental public interest litigation with the specific goal of realizing a clean, healthy, safe, and secured environment.

What we do

We engage in litigating by defending the environment before a court of law and administrative organs. We also prompt and inform policy and law makers, courts, and the media to be conscious of Environmental concerns in their decision-making process.

Environmental Justice
Pollution Control
Natural Resource Conservation
Environmental Rights Advocacy
Climate Sustainability
Environmental Safety and Health

Our Partners

Organizational Membership

BE A VOULNTEER

Let's Change The World, Join Us Now And Become A Volunteer !

OUR EVENT

Join Our Events

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23

Afforestation Program And Fundraising Event

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18

Protecting the Wild Animal of the Amazon

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25

Cleanliness Event And Awareness Program

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Defend the Environment

To be a leading Civic Society Organization – CSO to create a clean and healthy environment at the national and global level. 

Events

Activities

About Defend the Environment

CEO strategy

Defend the Environment

Defend the Environment is a board-led Civic Society Organization – CSO established to defend the environment via various strategies and mechanisms, and through environmental public interest litigation with the specific goal of realizing a clean, healthy, safe, and secured environment that swiftly addresses and defends the demands of all parties. 

DTE promotes and protects the environment, biodiversity, natural resources, climate, and fundamental rights and freedom through environmental public interest litigation, advocacy, environmental legal monitoring and enforcement, capacity building, and facilitation of public participation by relevant national legislation.

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Defend the Environment has been registered by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Agency for Civil Society Organizations and accorded legal personality with Registry Number 5347 on January 18, 2012, E.C. as a Local Organization by the Civic Society Organizations Proclamation No. 1113/2019/.
Melekamu Ogo
Lawyer

Cases | Activities

Environmental Public Interest Litigation

Since 2002, public interest environmental litigation (PIEL) has been introduced into the Ethiopian legal system with the primary goal of facilitating and supplementing the country’s environmental protection efforts. However, some progress has been made in utilizing this innovative litigation tool. Laws about PIEL are examined, and interviews and discussions with relevant stakeholders regarding environmental management in Ethiopia are conducted. Defend the Environment firmly believes that even though the legal and policy framework for PIEL, with all its limitations, is in place, gaps in judicial activism, legal culture, political will, public perception towards law, judicial process, and justice, the type of legal system, the perception and behavior of the government towards civil society, and inadequate environmental information has adversely affected the development of PIEL.

Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia incorporates several provisions relevant to the protection, sustainable use, and improvement of the country’s environment. Article 44 of the Constitution guarantees “the right to a clean and healthy environment,” while Article 43 pledges “the right . . . to sustainable development.” Additionally, Articles 89 and 92 of the same constitution require national policy and government activities to be compatible with environmental health.

Testimonials

“Defend the Environment (DTE) is a new environmental CSO in the relatively long history of CSOs in Ethiopia. Within these short times, DE took courageous actions in the field of environmental protection, 

Dr. Mellese Damte Dandi, Environmentalist, Associate Prof. of Law, Addis Ababa University 

“IMAGINE for a moment, working and living down the street from a place of business that dumps unknown byproducts into a neighboring riverway and releases foul-smelling odors into the air above.

Michael Yimesgen, JD & MAEd, Victim of the Pollution