Rwanda secures funds to aid minimize environmental impact of mining

The Rwanda Mines, Petroleum, and Gas Board (RMB) has secured a sum of €4.1 million for a project aimed at reducing the environmental impact of mining activities.

The project, launched at the EU-Rwanda Business Forum, received funding from the European Union Delegation to Rwanda and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The project is set to be implemented until 2025.

Yamina Karitanyi, CEO of the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum, and Gas Board, emphasized the importance of the funding in helping Rwanda achieve compliance with occupational health and safety standards, as well as social and environmental protection. She identified insufficient mining and processing skills, limited adoption of modern technology, and the prevalent use of rudimentary tools as the main challenges hindering the growth of Rwanda’s mining sector.

Goal

The project aims to enhance Rwanda’s investment attractiveness by achieving several outcomes. These include improved traceability of mineral flows in compliance with international standards, digitalized mining sector services, development of training curricula for mining professionals, and the promotion of safer mining practices for the environment and all stakeholders. Karitanyi stated that the project is crucial in the country’s objective to boost investment, create decent jobs, and foster sustainable and diversified growth.

Rwanda’s extractive sector, which employs approximately 120,000 people, plays a critical role in generating export revenues and foreign exchange for the country. In the first quarter of 2023, mineral exports from Rwanda amounted to $247,480,699, representing a 52.3% increase compared to the January-November 2022 period, which saw exports valued at approximately $448 million (Rwf486 billion), according to the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum, and Gas Board (RMB).