Friends of the Earth: Campaigns: Corporates: Press for change: Mining Madagascar

Mining Madagascar

In 2006, Rio Tinto, one of the world's biggest mining companies, started work on a new ilmenite mine in the Fort Dauphin area of Madagascar.

Billed as a blueprint for the company's future mining projects in Africa, the project is already:

Undermining local living standards
Causing social upheaval
Contributing to environmental destruction.

Port construction in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar

Environmental impact

The mine will destroy rare coastal forest and the habitats for the unique species that live there.

Rio Tinto claim they will restore the area to it's former glory. But they plan to use non-native plants in this.

With conservation areas that are too small, their restoration plans may be a pipe dream.

Petricky coastal (littoral) forest
Coastal forest in Southern Madagascar

Social impact

The communities living in villages around the mining area will be removed from their land.

Predominantly subsistence farmers, growing vegetables, fishing and raising livestock, they hold no formal land rights and are already being priced out of local markets.

Compensation for their displacement is very poor and risks falling foul of the World Bank's policies, potentially breaching the World Bank loan agreement.

We anticipate the project [in the Fort-Dauphin region] will become a template for responsible mining development worldwide.

Tom Albanese, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto, addressing the Investing in African Mining Conference in 2006

What do we want to happen?

Rio Tinto's project is going to go ahead, but before they actually start mining next year the company needs to act to ensure that:

Local communities are properly compensated.
The island's unique biodiversity is better protected against the operations.
Information about the project is made more readily available.

Email Tom Albanese, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto

Dear Mr Albanese,

Suggested letter below (but you may alter it - why?)
I have recently read about your ilmenite mine in Madagascar. In 2006 you said at the Investing in African Mining Conference "We anticipate the project [in the Fort-Dauphin region] will become a template for responsible mining development worldwide." The reality on the ground is very different. The impact of your mine on local communities and the environment in Madagascar goes against Rio Tinto's stated best practice, and is far from being a blueprint for future mining operations in Africa and the developing world. The project in the Fort Dauphin area of Madagascar is harming the livelihoods of local communities, denying them access to the natural resources upon which they rely, and causing increasing economic insecurity and social upheaval. In addition, it is quite clear that the project will not help to conserve or protect Madagascar's delicate mix of flora and fauna, which has evolved in isolation from the African mainland and of which approximately 75 per cent of the species are found nowhere else on Earth. Your project provides little in the way of benefit to local communities who are predominantly subsistence farmers, growing vegetables, fishing and raising livestock to survive, and who hold no formal land rights due to the customary nature in which land has been owned for generations. Compensation arrangements with communities already displaced by the mine have been poor, and are at risk of falling foul of your own and the World Bank's policies concerning compensation for displacement. The mine will begin production shortly, but before it does we urge you to take action to improve the impacts of the mine on local communities and ensure that the project's impacts on the unique biodiversity of Madagascar are improved. In particular I would like to see an improvement in the following areas: - Transparency and communication with all stakeholders, including in relation to: company plans to comply with the national mining code of practice in Madagascar; the shareholder agreement between the company and the Government of Madagascar; and that the land use required by the mine. - Improved communication between the company and all local affected communities, including the creation of a neutral and independent stakeholder programme that facilitates open and safe debate for all community members, and provides access to company representatives and mechanisms for conflict resolution, compromise, and the mitigation of negative impacts. - Action to limit the negative impacts of the mine on the livelihoods of local people, including improvements to the compensation and resettlement process so as to ensure compliance with the World Bank requirements and Rio Tinto's own code of practice; and action to address the project's impacts on the local cost of living. - Further action to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of the mine, including expansion of the conservation zones in order to ensure their viability. - Independent monitoring of the environmental impacts of the mine, with the findings made available to all interested stakeholders. I look forward to receiving your response.

Yours sincerely,

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Companies Act 2006

Last modified:
Menu: Oct 2007
Content: Oct 2007