Press articles

COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN TRAINING

With a view to equipping the members of the interministerial committee responsible for examining the rehabilitation and closure plan for mines or quarries in Burkina Faso, the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Sanitation ( MEEA) is organizing a capacity building workshop for members on September 4 and 5, 2024 in Ouagadougou.

The workshop aims to improve the knowledge of the members of the committee for the review and validation of rehabilitation and closure plans (PRF) for mining sites. Specifically, it involves strengthening the capacities of members participating in the review and validation of PRFs; presenting communications related to the sector "closure and rehabilitation of mining sites;" proposing and adopting a methodological guide for the review and validation of PRF reports.

The training will be provided by a team composed of executives from the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Mines and resource persons. It will include a phase of training members on concepts related to the PFR of sites with a view to developing and adopting a methodological approach to analyzing plans. The training of members will occupy the first day and the second day will be devoted to the development and adoption of a standard framework for monitoring, control and evaluation of PFRs.

The communications on selected themes related to the closure and rehabilitation of mining sites are as follows: overview of legal instruments for the rehabilitation and closure of mines or quarries; stages of the closure and rehabilitation of mining sites; description of mining activities; issues on pits and quarries; types of pollution and deterioration of biodiversity of mining sites; issues on radioactive elements in mining operations; issues on water resources (underground and surface); social transition of closure (management of employees and local populations, PAPs ); technique for analyzing costs proposed in the rehabilitation and closure plan for mines or quarries.

The opening ceremony was chaired by the research officer, Mr. Jacques Bonkoungou representing the Secretary General of the Ministry in charge of the Environment. In his speech, he stressed that in Burkina Faso, more than ten industrial and semi-mechanized mines are currently in operation, making the extractive industry an essential component of the national economy.

He noted that Law No. 016-2024/ALT of July 18, 2024 on the Mining Code in Burkina Faso provides, in its Article 154, that "any holder of a large or small mine operating permit, a semi-mechanized mining permit for mining substances or an industrial mining permit for quarry substances shall open and maintain an account in the books of the Public Treasury which will be used to establish a fund to cover the costs of implementing the rehabilitation and closure plan for the mine or quarry."

And, in accordance with Decree No. 2017-0068 /PRES/PM/MEMC/MEEVCC/MINEFID/MATDSI on the organization, operation and methods of collecting resources from the Mine Rehabilitation and Closure Fund, in particular Articles 3 and 4, "each year, the title holder submits a rehabilitation program with estimated costs for the technical committee's consideration...".

The activity is financed by the Environmental Intervention Fund (FIE). Indeed, Decree No. 2017-0068/PRES/PM/MEMC/MEEVCC/MINEFID/MATDSI on the organization, operation and method of collecting resources from the Mine Rehabilitation and Closure Fund provides that the "Mine Rehabilitation and Closure Fund is a window of the Environmental Intervention Fund (FIE). It finances the activities of the PRF of industrial, semi-mechanized mines and industrial mining sites for quarry substances."

DCRP/FIE