Large-scale mining and the right to a clean, health and safe environment in Tanzania

Abstract

The last two decades witnessed growth in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in  Tanzania ' s mining sector, resulting from the government ' s opening up the  doors for foreign capital. This paper sought to investigate the extent to which  large-scale mining impacts on the rights to a clean, safe and healthy  environment for people who live near the mines. The study was conducted in  Barrick Bulyanhulu and North Mara Gold Mines in Bulyanhulu, Shinyanga  region and North Mara in Mara region. Empirical evidence collected through  document review, interviews, observation, informal consultation, pair-wise  ranking and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) suggest that large-scale mining  has short and long terms harmful impacts on the right to a clean and health  environment. Local communities in North Mara claimed that water pollutionby Barrick Gold has caused the deaths of about 20 people and 700 to 1000  heads of cattle. In contrast, neither the government nor Barrick Gold admits  the claims by local communities. Discontents over environmental pollution  and eviction with little or without compensation generated a very hostile  relationship between local communities and Barrick Gold, especially in North  Mara where groups of youth have frequently mobilized to intrude on the mine.  *Lecturer, University of Dar es Salaam, Email: walwajn@gmail.com