Community

The Geita Gold Mine in Tanzania is situated within the Geita Forest Reserve. This reserve falls under the control of the central government of Tanzania and comprises an area of 477km². Geita owns approximately 144 km² of land within the reserve. This reserve is rich in floral diversity (about 400 species) comprising the important Miombo woodland (47%), Combretum/Terminalia/Lateraite grasslands (51%) and riverine vegetation (2%). Unfortunately, illegal logging and charcoal-making activities by local communities who are driven by the growing demand in Geita town, Mwanza and further afield, is threatening the survival or existence of some of these species, and has had a significant impact on these resources. Some of the important species in the vegetation types include Pterocapus Angolensis (Mninga), Dalbergia melanoxylon (Mpingo or African black wood), Brachystegia boehmii (Myenze), Brachystegia speciformis (Mtundu), Julbernardia globiflora) and Pterocarpus angolensis (mbanga).

Geita is not only intent on rehabilitating the area within its lease area after mining activities have ceased, but believes that its rehabilitation programmes offer an ideal opportunity to promote the value of conservation in neighbouring communities, while offering them an economic alternative to the environmentally destructive practices which are often the only form of income for these communities.

Geita's environmental policy and management plan prohibits any activities on site that could damage the environment, and clearing of any vegetation on site is not allowed without the written permission of the environmental manager. A comprehensive rehabilitation programme is in place: all cleared areas are rehabilitated and revegetated once mining activities have been concluded using species similar to those that existed before clearing. Three zones of rehabilitation have therefore been established - Miombo woodland, Mbuga and grassland use in rehabilitation of different areas.

Since the start of operations $3 million (Tsh. 3,315 million) has been spent on land rehabilitation, planting trees, the nursery, and the herbarium. To date, 180,000 trees have been planted, and 713 kilograms of seed broadcasted, resulting in 230 hectares of land being restored. Another 120,000 trees from Geita's own five-acre tree nursery were planted into the 90 hectares of land disturbed during 2004. 2,326 hectares have been disturbed to date, most of this in the pits and waste dump areas. The initial area to be rehabilitated has seen the vegetation stabilise and firmly combine with other areas of land. Of 60,000 trees planted in 2003, 88% have survived.

"At Geita we view the environment in its totality," says Carolyn Brayshaw community development co-coordinator for the mine, "which includes the involvement of people. Local communities are involved in all levels of rehabilitation - from seed collection, seed cleaning and preparation, growing seedlings through to transplantation and landscape and erosion control. By involving them in this process communities can see trees as an economic resource beyond that of charcoal or timber. After mine closure we hope we will leave behind a conservation ethic, and a sustainable timber industry. These issues will be dealt with in mine closure planning which addresses vision for the local community development and thus sustainability.

"At present Geita supports three local nurseries that produce saplings for transplantation. Two of these nurseries, Bukoli and Geita Town nurseries, were existing commercial nurseries, but in the past there was never a market for indigenous trees. The third nursery developed out of the existing Nyakabale Agro forestry project, which is supported by the mine and which came about as a result of the financial assistance and training provided. Seeds were originally supplied to all three nurseries; now, however, the owners of the nursery organise the collection themselves."

The species required are identified by the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) team who, through research, trial and error and consultation with local communities have identified the most suitable species. They are selected taking the following into account:

• seed germinability;
• seed availability;
• species distribution and /or dormancy; and
• historical landscape species relationship and abundance for example grassland species, mbuga species and highland species.

The species growth response is monitored constantly by HSE staff. Growth response assessment is conducted on an annual basis by experts from Tanzania Forest Tree Agency. Local communities have benefited from experts from within Tanzania and beyond, who have worked with these communities in the identification, seed collection and optimum planting and germination practices.

The HSE department has set the target for each of these nurseries to have 40,000 trees ready for transplanting for the 2004 rainy season. This stretched target was exceeded as all three nurseries have produced in excess of 60,000 trees each.

Geita (in conjunction with the District Forest Office) also takes part in Forest Reserve management by fighting unsustainable activities. Six people have been employed by the mine on a permanent basis to patrol around the forest reserve and prevent those conducting illegal activities within the forest.

"We also work with the community and the district leadership in a number of environmental projects. For instance, we sponsored the National Environmental Day in the district by purchasing seedlings from different suppliers in the district worth Tsh1 million (5,000 trees). These were distributed to schools and villages to be planted when commemorating the day."