A roadmap for ESIA policy change in Ethiopia should address wide-ranging governance reforms

ABSTRACT

Robust governance frameworks are crucial for maximizing the benefits of natural resource development in mining regions and minimising adverse social and environmental impacts. This paper analyses Ethiopia’s current ESIA policy, legal framework and implementation process to identify opportunities for policy reform. To gain perspective on leading practices in other countries, a comparative analysis of policies in Chile, Peru, Ghana, and Canada was performed. Interviews with representatives from government, industry, and civil society in Ethiopia were completed to gain perspective on the policy structures currently in place, and to identify areas for improvement. Results conclude that accountability mechanisms are currently limited in Ethiopia and that at the time of this study, the same authority was responsible for promoting mining and evaluating ESIAs. Contrary to legislative requirements, there was found to be a lack of transparency in the public availability of ESIAs and limited community participation. Compliance and monitoring processes were also found to be inadequate. Addressing these gaps is important to ensure that the expansion of Ethiopia’s mining sector proceeds in a sustainable manner.

KEYWORDS:

• Ethiopia
• ESIA
• mining
• reform
• policy
• governance

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for support provided by the Global Affairs Canada-funded SUMM project which facilitated the fieldwork component of this research, and in particular to Ms. Azeb Belete for assisting with translation and in familiarizing the research team with the local context and legislation. Additionally, the team would like to acknowledge the support provided by the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at The University of British Columbia. The authors would like to thank all of those individuals who shared their time and expertise with the research team, as well as to colleagues and peer reviewers whose valuable comments and feedback helped to strengthen the paper. The authors declare no conflicts of interest and have not disclosed confidential information without the free, prior and informed consent of research participants. Views herein are those of the authors and do not formally represent opinions of the Federal Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) or regional staff.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Notes

1. Note that the actual date of this letter was 30 July 2012 which refers to the Ethiopian calendar. The letter was shared with the authors by contacts at the SUMM project.

2. As of July 2020, this recommendation within our original report to the MoMP was implemented by the Government of Ethiopia by way of a government notice which reverted ESIA approval to the EFCCC.