An environmental management framework for Tanzania

The Mineral Sector Development Project, sponsored by the World Bank, has been set up to revise the legal, regulatory and fiscal framework for the minerals industry in Tanzania, with a view to attracting mining companies and investors to the country and facilitating future minerals development. One component of this project, the Environmental Management Framework for the Mineral Sector, was awarded to Wardell armstrong of the UK and ENV Consult of Tanzania. In developing a new framework of environmental regulations, emphasis was placed on developing realistic standards which reflect local conditions and prevailing values. The main cornerstones of this approach are; effective environmental impact assessment procedures; establishment of environmental management procedures; and monitoring and auditing of companies' performance. The favoured approach involves a three-tier framework, as follows: Framework environmental provisions within the new Mining Act; Regulations covering more detailed environmental requirements Guidelines and/or codes of Practice, which may in future become regulations in their own right. Careful consideration has been given, in developing the framework, to the limited resources likely to be available for implementation to the Ministry of Energy and Minerals and this has influenced the approach that has been adopted, This paper outlines the main components of the environmental management framework and discusses some of the important issues raised by these proposals.