ABSTRACT
Akobo minerals is an exploration and mining company actively operating in Southwestern part of Ethiopia in a place called Dima, Gambella Region, Ethiopia at around 710km away from the capital city Addis Ababa. Currently, the company is doing gold exploration on 182km2 area with exciting results leading to the discovery of Segele Mining Area of 16km2 with Bonanza grade results. For successful and industry standard operation the company has already an executive management with all required skills and complimentary extensive experience in the industry. Most importantly, the company recently engaged a world known ESG Strategy Head. We also have strong team actively working in the project area.
The Project area is in remote location at the border with South-Sudan. The area is known for gold discovery with plenty of artisanal miners working in the area. Indigenous pastoralist Surma Community is also found in the location. With the gold resource in the area, it becomes common to see unregulated mining activities in this part of the country. Therefore, Akobo being a responsible mining company is interested to engage in mining activity keeping social and environmental issues addressed well. To this end, we’re a company compliant with legal requirements that includes conducting ESIA studies. Besides, the company established a strong ESG team comprising of ESG Strategy head, ESG Manager and a group of experts working tirelessly to ensure all community, environmental and governance issues are taken care off.
Most importantly, our North Star in ensuring sustainable production and consumption is the development of Sustainable Natural Resource Management Program (SNRMP). To this end, Sazani resources, a consulting company in Sustainable Natural Resource, has recently conducted a research comprising of field participatory mapping, remote sensing and community consultation that helped us to identify output areas including: Development of a structure for managing sustainable use of natural resources; Enhanced environmental and socio-economic well – being of artisanal gold mining communities; Women and youth have improved technical skills, sustainable livelihood opportunities and financial resilience; Improved skills and competencies in sustainable agricultural and pastoralist practice; Delivery of sustainability awareness and education programme supporting healthy and sustainable life skills and Establishing a tree planting and ecosystem management scheme for carbon credits. As a follow up of this, recently a multistakeholder dialogue were conducted at Dima town comprising of participants from government offices, artisanal miners, women, and youth. This resulted in understating the community demand and InSite towards the SNRMP implementation. It has also resulted in understanding the communities’ good interest in engaging with us that we think is good sign for sustainability of the program even after the mine life. The ESG team is also establishing the links with INGO’s who are operating in Environment and Social aspects so that the works and their experiences can be applied to the community in our project area.
BIOGRAPHY
Maikel has BSc degree in Geology from Addis Ababa University in 2003 G.C. I also have MSc degree in Geo-environmental systems analysis from the same university in 2008 G.C.
Currently, Maikel has been working in the capacity of ESG Manager for ETNO Mining/Akobo minerals. In the past, I had been working in various capacities including but not limited to earth scientist position and GIS Coordinator for various renowned multinational companies. As an exploration Earth scientist and GIS coordinator, I’d been involved in field mapping, data collection, data compilation, data analysis using GIS software and resource estimation. Since June 2016 up to May 2020, I’d been working at MoWIE with the capacity of Senior Climate Change expert with the following assignments among others: –
· Review of existing policy, strategy, and program.
· Member of Agriculture, Forest and other land use (AFOLU) sector.
· Involve in coordinating climate change related activities at MoWIE in National Climate Change measurement, reporting and verification (MRV).
· Establishing a climate change measurement reporting and verification (MRV) system.
· Reviewing Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) documents.
· Conduct field Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation work on projects.
· Make sure that gender issue is addressed and included on planned and ongoing projects.
Recently, I was a Project Coordinator at MoWIE for Climate Resilience Water Supply Projects funded by Adaptation Fund and Green Climate Fund (GCF). I’ve been involved in coordinating the various phases of implementation of the water supply and irrigation components of the projects.
