| Overview : Rwanda’s has achieved a sustained economic growth over the past 5 year at a rapid rate of 8%. Mining is an important subsector that contributed close to 2 percent[1] to Rwanda’s Gross Domestic Product in the 2013-2014 fiscal years mainly from mineral exports and providing over 40,000 jobs. The subsector plans to increase its contribution to GDP and the number of jobs each by at least 15%. In 2004, the Government of Rwanda realizing the growing macro-economic impact of mining on the socio-economic development of the country, decided to develop the first comprehensive Mining Policy of 2004 which was later reviewed in 2009 to give the existing Mining Policy of January 2010. This Policy sets out 5 Strategic Outcomes (Pillars) for the sector: 1. Strengthen the enabling legal, regulatory and institutional environment; 2. Develop targeted investment, fiscal and macro-economic policies; 3. Improve mining sector knowledge, skills and use of best practices; 4. Raise productivity and establish new mines 5. Diversify into new products and increase value addition. In 2011 the Government of Rwanda adopted the national Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS). The GGCRS articulates 14 Programmes of Action for its mainstreaming among all sectors of the national economy in order to orient its rapidly growing economy towards principles and practices of resource efficiency, maintaining a low-carbon production growth path and climate resilience. One of the Programmes of Action aimed at achieving a green and climate resilient mining sector for the long term in Rwanda Drawing from the GGCRS, the second phase of Rwanda’s Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS 2) that runs from 2013 to 2018 also set medium term priorities for pursuing a green mining industry that include the establishment of a model mine[2] as one of the key interventions. A new “Mining and Minerals Policy of Rwanda” has been drafted in 2015 by the Department of Mines and Geology, which aims at adjusting the policy to the changes in institutional framework, developments in modern mining practices, greater focus on environmental management, and update of mining and mineral statistics. It focuses on the development of a policy framework that will enable Rwanda to manage its limited mineral resources for the sustainable socio-economic development of the Rwandan community. The Objective of this new proposed policy is: To ensure Rwanda’s mining sector operations are managed efficiently in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable framework within the internationally accepted standards of occupational health, mine safety and environmental protection. It describes goals and actions in the following thematic areas: Legal and regulatory framework fiscal and revenue management; Geological, topographic and mineral information system; Artisanal and small-scale mining operations; Investment, productivity, diversification and linkages; Environmental management of social impacts of mining Most activities involving the use of natural resources have potential negative environmental, economic and social impacts. Mining is no exception and to ensure that mining makes the largest, sustained positive contribution to the achievement of Rwanda development objectives, it is necessary to minimize negative environmental, social and economic impacts. In other countries, pollution, negative impacts on the well-being of people living close to mines, including women, have decreased the net positive economic contribution of mining to national economies and resulted in opposition in some quarters to mining. The overarching objective of this proposed undertaking is to draft a Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) that focuses on the new Draft “Mining and Minerals Policy”, and will ensure mining’s contribution to Rwanda’s development maximizes net social and economic benefits, including gender elements. 1.Regulatory and Institutional Context Principle 1 of Article 7 in Organic Law 04/2005 provides a legal framework for Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) as precautionary measures that ensure environmental sustainability of policies, strategies and plans. In order to effectively mainstream resource efficiency, low-carbon growth and climate resiliency in Rwanda’s mining operations as stipulated in the GGCRS and EDPRS 2, it is essential that environmental, social and economic impacts of mining operations be established and an SEA be undertaken at policy, plan and strategy levels. The Study will therefore be carried out according to the country’s guidelines for Strategic Environmental Assessment and will assess the new Mining and Minerals Policy, with a final SEA report approved by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA). The Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA) as a technical institution of the Ministry of Natural Resources is mandated with developing a sustainable mining industry that is resource efficient, low-carbon, climate resilient and that provides decent employment. It is in this regard that RNRA seeks services of a consultancy firm to conduct a SEA for the mining sector in Rwanda to assess and guide the on-going development of the new Mining and Minerals Policy. Special focus should be given to the Poverty – Environment interactions, as well as gender aspects of the mining sector and its future strategies and plans. This is to ensure, inter alia, that the net positive economic contribution of mining to achievement of Rwanda’s development goals is higher by avoiding or minimizing potential negative environmental, social and economic impacts. 2.Key policy and other documents: - The Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Rwanda, 2003
- Rwanda Vision 2020, Republic of Rwanda 2000.
- Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy, 2011
- General Guidelines and Procedures for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), REMA, 2011.
- General Guidelines and Procedures for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), REMA, 2006.
- Mining Policy, Republic of Rwanda, 2010.
- Organic Law N° 04/2005 of 08/04/2005 determining the modalities of protection, conservation and promotion of environment in Rwanda, Republic of Rwanda 2005.
- Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy II (2013-2018)
- Mining Sub-sector Strategic Plan 2014-2019, Rwanda Natural Resource Authority.
- Environmental, Social and Economic Dimensions to Consider in the Development of the Mining Industry in Rwanda, 2014.
- Mining Law (2015)
- Rwanda State of Environment and Outlook Report 2015. Chapter 6: Mining and Industry. REMA (2015).
- Environmental monitoring of small scale mining areas in Rwanda. Haidula, a.f., Ellmies, R., Kayumba, F. (2011)
- Rwanda Economic Update, Edition No. 6: Unearthing the sub-soil mining and its contribution to national development;
- Mining Sector Working Paper; Working Paper for the Green Growth Climate Resilient Strategy. Smith School of Environment and the Environment, Oxford University (2011)
- UNDP’s Strategy for Supporting Sustainable and Equitable Management of the Extractive Sector for Human Development (2012);
- Economic Analysis of Natural Resource Management in Rwanda, MERA / UNDP-UNEP PEI
- Environment and poverty reduction in Rwanda. An assessment. UNDP, UNEP, 2006.
Application procedure Proposals comprising of technical proposal and financial proposal, in separate sealed envelopes, or separate emails, must be submitted on or before Monday, October 31, 2016, Time: 12h00 PM Kigali local time to the address below: United Nations Development Programme - Rwanda P.O. Box 445, 12 Avenue de l'Armée, Kigali, Rwanda, Attn: Head of Procurement Unit. Email: offers.rw@undp.org |
