CHAPTER NINETEEN CO-OPERATION IN ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ARTICLE 111 Environmental Issues and Natural Resources The Partner States recognise that development activities may have negative impacts on the environment leading to the degradation of the environment and depletion of natural resources and that a clean and healthy environment is a prerequisite for sustainable development. The Partner States therefore: (a) agree to take concerted measures to foster co-operation in the joint and efficient management and sustainable utilisation of natural resources within the Community; (b) undertake, through environmental management strategy, to cooperate and co-ordinate their policies and actions for the protection and conservation of the natural resources and environment against all forms of degradation and pollution arising from developmental activities; (c) undertake to co-operate and adopt common policies for control of trans-boundary movement of toxic and hazardous waste including nuclear materials and any other undesirable materials; (d) shall provide prior and timely notification and relevant information to each other on natural and human activities that may or are likely to have significant trans-boundary environmental impacts and shall consult with each other at an early stage; and (e) shall develop and promote capacity building programmes for sustainable management of natural resources. `2. Action by the Community relating to the environment shall have the following objectives: (a) to preserve, protect and enhance the quality of the environment; (b) to contribute towards the sustainability of the environment; (c) to ensure sustainable utilisation of natural resources like lakes, wetlands, forests and other aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; and 84