Mining – India 1
1. Letter to suspend mining in abeyance: Minister 1
2. JSW Energy to invest Rs 8k cr in two projects 2
3. India gets chance to oppose US anti-dumping duty on steel 3
4. India government approval for new coal blocks may speed up 4
5. India to receive uranium from Kazakhstan 4
6. Mozambique grants mining contract to Tata Steel JV 5
7. SC did not ask us to stop mining, says Reddy 6
8. Sterlite Industries: The sheen is off 6
Mining – International 7
9. Mr Buffett sees POSCO the best steel company in the world 7
10. Cops asked to stop illegal logging, mining 8
11. PM: Bauxite mining towards efficiency and sustainable development 9
12. Coal mine aids Arctic research 10
13. South African ANC plans state mining firm 11
14. Wide-ranging study of Virginia uranium mining proposed 12
15. Row over mining, group says it is a curse but... 14
Other News – India 16
16. All set for distribution of pattas to tribals 16
17. Aboriginals of Australia: Climate Change Threat 17
18. Malaysia court affirms tribes' land rights 19
19. Tibet threatened by global warming 20
Mining – India
Letter to suspend mining in abeyance: Minister
Staff Correspondent
BELLARY: Minister for Tourism G. Janardhana Reddy, who owns the Obulapuram Mining company (OMC) along with two other Ministers G. Karunakar Reddy and B. Sriramulu, claimed that the letter dated April 22, 2009, written by B.K. Singh, Deputy Inspector-General of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests (Forest Division), directing the Andhra Pradesh Government to suspend the mining leases of five mining companies, including OMC, had been kept in abeyance.
He also claimed that there was no need for a fresh survey of the mining areas, as sought by the MoEF as the survey of the mining areas of five companies had been done by a high power committee constituted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Reddy, responding to questions by presspersons here on Sunday, blamed his opponents of keeping the Supreme Court and the MoEF in the dark about the steps already taken by the Government of Andhra Pradesh in this regard. “The Government of Andhra Pradesh has got the areas surveyed and there is no need for another fresh survey”, he reiterated.
To a question, he said that a report of the survey had to be submitted to the Supreme Court and there was no direction for suspending the mining activities.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/11/stories/2009051151620500.htm
JSW Energy to invest Rs 8k cr in two projects
11 May 2009, 0051 hrs IST, Pradeep Pandey, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: The JSW group-promoted JSW Energy is planning to invest Rs 8,000 crore to build two thermal power projects of a combined capacity of over
2,000 megawatts in Chhattisgarh and Orissa in the current fiscal year, a senior executive said.
"These projects would use coal from the existing reserves in the area, as they are pithead projects," JSW group chairman Sajjan Jindal told ET. The group is looking for coal mines in Chhattisgarh and Orissa and is in talks with the respective governments, he added. "We've already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chhattisgarh government and are in the process of acquiring land for the proposed project of 2X660 MW unit, in Orissa, we would be proceeding post election."
The financial closure for these projects would be completed by the end of the current fiscal year, along with the group's other projects in West Bengal and Jharkhand, where land acquisition has been completed, said Mr Jindal. The debt-equity ratio for the projects will be 3:1 and the funds may be lined up with a consortium of domestic banks led by SBI. JSW Energy has also entered into tie-ups with China's Shanghai Electric and Dong Fang of Korea to supply power equipment for the power plants.
The group has plans to build thermal power projects across the country and a hydro power project in Himachal Pradesh. For these projects, the group had envisaged investment of about Rs 16,500 crore in the previous fiscal year.
JSW projects at various places, excluding those in Rajasthan and Karnataka, were delayed by one year, as the group had put on hold its expansion plans due to the global financial crisis. JSW Energy was planning to raise about Rs 4,000 crore through an initial public offer last year. However, its power projects in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan will be fully commissioned by 2010. The combined capacity of these three projects is 3,600 MW. SS Rao, joint managing director of JSW Energy, said: "Last month, our two units at Vijayanagar, each of 135 MW, have already started operation. Another unit of 300 MW along with first unit of 8X135 at Barmer will start in July."
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Energy/JSW-Energy-to-invest-Rs-8k-cr-in-two-projects/articleshow/4507416.cms
India gets chance to oppose US anti-dumping duty on steel
New Delhi (PTI): India, along with 14 other countries, has been given a chance to present its case in the US against anti-dumping duty, which has acted as a major trade barrier for export of Indian steel products to the American market since 2002.
Though the review of the anti-dumping duty by the US on its steel imports would be "routine" in nature, India's engineering exporters are hoping that the trade irritant would be removed.
The Federal Register Notice of the US Department of Commerce is giving an opportunity to New Delhi to ask Indian exporters of silico manganese, welded carbon steel pipes and tubes exporters to seek a review of the anti-dumping duties levied on these products.
The Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), which has put up the notice on its website, has taken up the issue with the Government and its (EEPC's) members.
"The Department of Commerce has informed us that the Federal Register Notice dated May 1, 2009 from (the) US Department of Commerce gives an opportunity to request for an Administrative Review for Antidumping, Countervailing Duty Orders, Findings or Suspended Investigations," the circular read.
The US has imposed since 2002 an anti-dumping duty of 15.32-20.42 per cent on the import of silico manganese, used as an alloying element in steel, stating it wants to protect its domestic industry.
This year, the US has invited 15 countries, including India, Brazil, China, the UK and Korea, for reviewing at least 23 anti-dumping cases.
"This is a routine process and based on the review antidumping and countervailing duties could be removed by the US Government. Every country does it. It gives countries a fair chance to present their cases," an EEPC official said.
According to official figures, India exported about half-a-billion dollars worth iron and steel to the US in 2007-08.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200905101451.htm
India government approval for new coal blocks may speed up
Monday, 11 May 2009
ET reported that companies may soon get all necessary India government approvals when they are allotted new coal blocks, thus saving them 5 years of red tape.
A coal ministry official said that "We are finalizing the new guidelines in consultation with the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Environment & Forest."
Official said the ministry is looking at ways to reduce the time taken in developing a captive coal block allotted to companies, mainly power utility firms. It has already received suggestions from the Central Electricity Authority.
According to the draft guidelines, companies allotted captive coal blocks would also get an in-principle approval for prospecting and mining. Currently, the developer has to get an in-principle approval from the Coal Ministry for exploration and later seek the government's permission to start mining.
The report added that the Centre would also allow exploration without mandatory forest clearance for drilling over 15 holes per square kilometer. However, this waiver would be given only when the developer gives an undertaking that no trees would be cut while exploration.
According to the official, the proposal also includes development of master rail network for moving coal from captive mines, besides the rail network being planned for transporting coal from the mines of Coal India.
As per report, faster development of mining operations is the key to timely implementation of projects in steel, cement and power sectors.
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/05/11/OTM5ODg%3D/India_government_approval_for_new_coal_blocks_may_speed_up.html
India to receive uranium from Kazakhstan
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) India could soon receive up to 2500 tonnes of uranium from Kazakhstan as an agreement in this regard is set to be signed between the two sides by the month-end.
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Kazatomprom are holding talks and a contract for supply of uranium is expected to be signed by the end of this month, Kazakh Ambassador Kairat Umarov told PTI here.
The fuel will be meant for the existing nuclear plants that are under IAEA safeguards, he said.
On the quantity of uranium to be supplied under the contract, Umarov said he was not aware as the companies were dealing with the issue directly.
Sources, however, said the discussions centred around supply of 2500 tonnes, a quantity which India wanted for running its reactors to full capacity.
Incidentally, China recently signed an agreement with Kazakhstan, one of the largest producers of uranium, for supply of 23000 tonnes of the nuclear fuel till 2020.
China is expanding its nuclear industry and in this regard is building 50 nuclear power stations.
Umarov expressed hope that the first contract between the companies of India and Kazakhstan would lay foundation for to long-term association. PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/668FDC552089179F652575B300293B30?OpenDocument
Mozambique grants mining contract to Tata Steel JV
Press Trust of India / New Delhi May 11, 2009, 15:38 IST
Mozambique has awarded a mining contract to Tata Steel and its JV partner Riversdale for the Benga coal project in the African country, which would yield over 20 million tonnes of the dry fuel every year.
The world's sixth largest steel producer, Tata Steel, has a 35 per cent stake in the project besides a secured right for 40 per cent of the produce to feed its Corus facilities in the UK and Europe.
The project, which will entail an investment of over $800 million, is likely to commission production in 2010, Australia's Riversdale Mining said on its website.
"The mining contract provides a basis for Riversdale mining to be producing coal at Benga in 2010," Riversdale Chairman Michael O'Keeffe said.
The terms of the mining contract have been approved by the Council of Ministers of Mozambique, and Riversdale Mining has received a decree signed by the country's Prime Minister, Luisa Dias Diogo, the website added.
The contract covers all aspects of proposed development of the mine, including exploration, feasibility, operations, fiscal regime and rehabilitation, among others.
Following the awarding of the mining contract, the terms and conditions will be incorporated into the Benga project feasibility study now, due for completion in the current quarter, the statement added.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mozambique-grants-mining-contract-to-tata-steel-jv/61181/on
SC did not ask us to stop mining, says Reddy
Express News Service
First Published : 11 May 2009 04:39:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 11 May 2009 08:47:08 AM IST
BELLARY: District in-charge and Tourism Minister G Janardhan Reddy claimed that the Supreme Court has not directed anywhere in its recent order to stop mining in border areas between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, Reddy maintained that the Apex Court did not ask for a joint survey of border areas, but only sought the report of a survey already conducted in the area.
Reddy said that a Division Bench of Andhra Pradesh High Court had ruled out conducting of any survey by Survey of India, in the mining case.
A report of the survey, conducted on the direction of AP High Court Division Bench, has been submitted to the Supreme Court as sought by it, he said. Reddy alleged that the media acted in a partisan way while reporting on the mining case, by keeping aside many of the important aspects of the issue.
He said that the media should act impartially while reporting on important issues like the mining case.
He said that the leaders of the Congress and JD(S), who tried to use the issue to defame him and his family members, does not have any moral rights to continue in public life.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=SC+did+not+ask+us+to+stop+mining,+says+Reddy&artid=Pk2YriIcl/Q=&SectionID=7GUA38txp3s=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=zkvyRoWGpmWSxZV2TGM5XQ==&SEO=
Sterlite Industries: The sheen is off
Jitendra Kumar Gupta / Mumbai May 11, 2009, 0:51 IST
Analysts say the current year could see a fall in revenues and profits even though prices of metals are up from the lows.
Metal companies have been badly hit by the global economic meltdown and Sterlite Industries has been no exception. India’s largest non-ferrous metals company reported a poor set of numbers for the second consecutive quarter ending March 2009. Consolidated revenues dipped 36 per cent to Rs 4,336 crore while net profits fell 54.62 per cent to Rs 598 crore.
However, the share price has risen 22 per cent to Rs 454 since end April. Despite poor results, analysts now believe that the worst is over for Sterlite.
This is primarily because non-ferrous metal (aluminium, copper, zinc and lead) prices are up by 4-7 per cent since March 2009 and 10-40 per cent since January 2009. This is also a reason why realisations are now expected to be better than earlier expectations.
Aluminium dented
Sterlite’s aluminium business, which accounts for about 18 per cent of consolidated sales, was impacted the most due to the higher cost of production.
In Q4FY09, this business reported a 27.7 per cent y-o-y decline in revenues to Rs 813 crore. Also, this segment witnessed a loss before interest and tax of Rs 49 crore in Q4FY09 against a profit before interest and tax of Rs 547 crore in Q4FY08.
Average LME aluminium prices fell 50 per cent y-o-y to $1,360 per tonne in Q4FY09. Besides, Sterlite had cut production by 7.6 per cent by shutting down one smelter as the production cost was higher because volumes dipped.
Sterlite is now looking to integrate its aluminium business as it starts mining at Nayamgiri bauxite mines. It is also ramping up its aluminium smelter in Jharsuguda, Orissa by Q1FY10, which will add 0.25 million tone of capacity, while another 0.25 million tonne will come up by March 2010.
With these initiatives the company expects the cost of production for aluminium to come down to $800-900 per tonne by the end FY10. Sterlite also hopes to earn more money by selling surplus power. It sold about 130 mw in Q4FY09, which analysts believe could go up to 250 mw in the coming quarters.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sterlite-industriessheen-is-off/357650/
Mining – International
Mr Buffett sees POSCO the best steel company in the world
Monday, 11 May 2009
Mr Warren Buffett CEO of Berkshire Hathaway said that POSCO is the best steel company in the world. He also mentioned that he had purchased the company's five year dollar bonds issued in March and emphasized once again that the steelmaker is a wonderful company with an excellent level of efficiency in engineering, production and management.
The POSCO TJ Park Foundation will host the annual POSCO Asia Forum at the COEX in downtown Seoul on May 20th 2009. With the theme 'Cultural Diversity in Asian Society: Toward Prosperity in Harmony' the forum will feature renowned scholars from all over Asia as well as diplomats and young students as they have in depth discussions on how to make the continent a better place to live in.
On April 30th 2009, Gwangyang Works signed a contract with the Welfare Foundation for Sharing Love of Gwangyang City to donate KRW 3.74 million to the charity organization every month. The monthly donation will be raised through voluntary donations by staff members, with the promised amount of money automatically being transferred from the participants' bank accounts once a month.
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/05/11/OTM5NTE%3D/Mr_Buffett_sees_POSCO_the_best_steel_company_in_the_world.html
Cops asked to stop illegal logging, mining
By SANNY GALVEZ
May 10, 2009, 5:52pm
BAYONGBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — Unless police authorities do something to strengthen its campaign against illegal mining and illegal logging, “these nefarious activities in our province will remain unabated.”
This statement was made by a leader of the residents of Didipio, Kasibu, this province. The residents said they have been witnessing the frequent transporting of undocumented mineral ore from Upper Alimit to Centro Didipio for milling and the hauling at night of truckloads of lumber reportedly without the necessary license or permit.
“Somebody in our town is playing ‘the role of a hero’ by giving protection to illegal small-scale miners and timber poachers doing their nefarious business in our province,” said the leader who asked not to be named.
He said this person has a strong connection not only with the local police but also with some officials in the province.
Security personnel of OceanaGold Philippines, which has a gold-copper project in Barangay Didipio, recalled that at about 7 p.m. last April 9, a passenger-type jeepney loaded with sacks of mineral ores passed through the firm’s guarded area.
“Sinenyasan naming huminto pero imbes ngang huminto, binilisan niya ang takbo ng minamaneho niyang jeep,” he said.
They immediately reported the matter to the local police. Soon after, one Peter Duyapat, 57, driver of the jeepney, was apprehended.
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/200130
PM: Bauxite mining towards efficiency and sustainable development
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the Government has been strictly supervising to make sure the bauxite mining project in the Central Highlands not only obtain economic efficiency but also bring about sustainable environmental preservation and others social issues for the region’s development.
Answering queries raised by voters in Le Chan precinct, northern Hai Phong port city on May 9, PM Dung said Vietnam’s bauxite reserves is the third largest in the world, with the Central Highlands possessing 5 billion tonnes, that would help develop the bauxite-aluminum industry into a powerful one.
He stressed that the issue is how to effectively and sustainably exploit the reserves.
PM Dung also briefed the voters of the country’s socio-economic situation in the first quarter of this year and answered their queries.
Analysing weaknesses and shortcomings of the economy and challenges in infrastructure, human resources and administrative institutions that are hindering the country’s development, the PM said the Government and localities should join hands to deal with the shortcomings in management, and deploy solutions to prevent economic recession, stabilise macro economy, ensure social security and maintain an economic growth rate of between 5-5.5 percent for this year.
He asked the Hai Phong People’s Committee to collect voter’s opinions and suggestions and collaborate with authorised agencies in perfecting social and economic policies.
Source: VietNamNet/VNA
http://army.qdnd.vn/vietnam.economy.Neweconomicpolicies.24741.qdnd
Coal mine aids Arctic research
The former coal-mining village of Ny-Aalesund has become an International Centre of Research. -- PHOTO: AFP
NY-AALESUND (Norway) - OUT of place in the snowy, polar landscape, the train that once hauled coal out of the mountain serves as a reminder to scientists at the Ny-Aalesund Arctic research station of the origin of the planet's woes.
Before becoming an international research station where scientists study the effects of global warming, this cluster of coloured buildings in the northwest corner of Norway's Svalbard archipelago was once a mining site for fossil fuels now blamed for climate change.
A firedamp explosion in the coal mine killed 21 men in 1962. The disaster ended the mining era in Ny-Aalesund, which is closer to the North Pole just 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) away than to Oslo, where the tragedy brought down the government.
Scientists in white lab coats have since replaced the black-faced miners, and the remote town - the northernmost in the world - has a 'broader broadband than London,' boasts Kings Bay, the company that runs the site.
There is however no mobile network, and visitors are asked to turn off their cell phones to avoid disturbances to the research station's finely-calibrated measuring instruments.
A somewhat erratic cable car brings visitors and researchers up to Zeppelin, which measures, among other things, fine particles from forest fires in North America brought to the Arctic by air currents.
In graphics taped to the walls, all the arrows point upwards, with particularly sharp increases seen in recent decades.
The Svalbard archipelago is on the frontline of global warming. Each year, the volume of its ice cap shrinks by 13 cubic kilometres or the equivalent of 5.2 million Olympic-size swimming pools.
And the glaciers around Ny-Aalesund are no exception. At the town limits, a docking port for blimps attests to Ny-Aalesund's unique role in the history of polar expeditions.
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, Italy's Umberto Nobile, and Lincoln Ellsworth of the United States left here in 1926 aboard the blimp Norge to become the first team ever to reach the North Pole with certainty. -- AFP
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Tech%2Band%2BScience/Story/STIStory_375245.html
South African ANC plans state mining firm
Monday, 11 May 2009
Reuters reported that South Africa's ruling ANC plans to set up a state mining firm after next week's election but nationalizing mineral assets is not on the agenda.
Led by presidential frontrunner Mr Jacob Zuma, the ANC is expected to retain its dominance in the April 22nd 2009 general election with a promise to do more for the poor in the major metals producer but also to maintain business friendly policies.
Mr Gwede Mantashe Secretary General of ANC, a former mine workers leader who also chairs the ANC's Communist Party ally, said that a state mining firm would create jobs and help Africa's biggest economy benefit more from its mineral wealth.
Mr Mantashe said that "Having a state mining company is distinct from nationalization. It will compete with other companies in mining," adding it would also renew a focus on local processing.
He said that "To sell gold or iron ore in raw form undermines our mining industry.”
Mr Mantashe said that we sell less value like raw iron ore and buy products such as steel at a higher cost. But signs of greater state involvement in the sector, which accounts for 7% of gross domestic product and nearly half a million jobs, could raise concerns among investors wary of any shift to the left under Zuma. South Africa is the world's top source of platinum and No. 3 gold producer.
He said that the new firm might focus on strategic minerals such as coal, uranium or platinum and operate in a similar manner to state owned PetroSA, which competes with private oil firms, particularly in exploration.
The mining sector is subject to intense scrutiny by big foreign groups such as Anglo American, South Africa's biggest mining player which want the sector handled carefully.
Mr Paul Walker CEO of London based metals consultancy GFMS said that state involvement was a bad idea. Mr Walker said that "My instincts tell me as a general rule state miner are less efficient than private miners. Making a return on capital for shareholders focuses the mind like nothing else. Talk of beneficiation has been around for some time but they have to realize there is a limit as to how quickly you can turn this country into a jewellery maker. It requires training, investment and infrastructure and there is competition out there with countries like India and Turkey.
Another priority for the ANC after the election will be ensuring mining companies do more to build roads, schools and hospitals in the communities where they mine.
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/05/11/OTM5ODc%3D/South_African_ANC_plans_state_mining_firm.html
Wide-ranging study of Virginia uranium mining proposed
Monday, May 11, 2009
A study of proposed uranium mining in Virginia would range from market trends to technical practices to health risks, the National Academy of Sciences said in recommendations released Thursday.
A Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy subcommittee posted the academy's recommendations for the study online. The recommendations were made by the academy's working arm, the National Research Council. The Virginia panel will consider approving them at a May 21 meeting in Richmond.
Before uranium can be mined in Virginia, the General Assembly would have to lift a ban that has been in place since 1982.
The study has been requested as a first step to lifting that ban by Virginia Uranium Inc., which wants to mine a 119 million-pound Pittsylvania County deposit that is believed to be the largest in the nation. Its value is estimated at $7 billion to $10 billion.
"The study will provide independent, expert advice that can be used to inform decisions about the future of uranium mining in the Commonwealth of Virginia," the academy's statement said.
The study won't take a position for or against the mining, the academy said, nor will it assess Virginia Uranium's site near Chatham.
Environmentalists and residents who live close to the site near the Virginia-North Carolina state line are worried about hazards to human health and the environment from mining the radioactive material.
The academy proposed assessing short- and long-term health risks both to workers and the public.
http://www.yourminingnews.com/news_item.php?newsID=31958
Researchers will not Stop Illegal Miners
Monday, 11 May, 2009 | 13:20 WIB
TEMPO Interactive, Banyuwangi: Assistant of Social Economy of Banyuwangi Regency Government, Hadi Sucipto, has said that the research by the Energy and Mineral Resources Regional Office of the East Java Provincial Government about whether the local forests containing gold or not will be finished next month.
Hadi explained that the office has taken a sample from the gravel that has been considered as gold by local residents at Sumberagung and Pesanggaran villages in Pesanggaran sub-district in Banyuwangi.
“The sample is being tested at the laboratory in Surabaya,” said Hadi yesterday (10/5).
Hadi said the research report will be announced to local residents and therefore they will stop mining in the forest.
Traditional miners still go to the forest although they have been forbidden from doing so since 29 April.
Head of the public relations section of Banyuwangi regency government, Arief Setyawan, said that the government's tentative research mentioned that the gold found by residents was not gold but a metal.
“The research will be strengthened by research by the Energy and Mineral Resources Regional Office,” he said.
Physically, it looks like gold.
Coordinator of the Environmental Community, Rosdy Bahtiar Martadi, disagreed that the government's approach of assigning a research team would stop traditional miners.
He said that the presence of mining company PT Indo Multi Niaga indicated that the forest contains gold.
“It would be funny if the research says it is not gold but there is a mining company operating in the area,” said Rosdy.
Rosdy went on to say that traditional miners will go when PT Indo Multi Niaga stops operating as well.
IKA NINGTYAS
http://www.tempointeractive.com/hg/nasional/2009/05/11/brk,20090511-175561,uk.html
Row over mining, group says it is a curse but...
Last Updated: Monday, 11 May 2009, 10:29 GMT Previous Page
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee
Centuries after European concessionaires had imported heavy machinery into the country to engage in the gold trade, has mining been a blessing or a curse Tor Ghana?
This is the debate which some environmentalists and the anti-mining coalition in the country are urging the Ghana Chamber of Mines, which last week called for the promotion of mining as a growth pole for the national economy, to engage in.
Statistics indicate that the contribution of mining to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) has only increased from 1.3 per cent in 1991 to about five per cent lately.
Drawing attention to the destructive effects of mining on the environment, the anti-mining group urged the government to institute a national forum to discuss the future of mining in the country.
Representatives of some mining communities and NGOs in the Central and Western regions made the call at a three-day workshop on, "Strengthening the capacities of communities in conflict management", held at Elmina in the Central Region at the weekend.
It was under the auspices of the National Peace Council (NPC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Present were some members of the NPC, including the Chairman and Catholic Bishop of Cape Coast, Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, the Vice-Chairman and Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Wahab Adam, the Catholic Bishop of Ho, the Most Reverend Francis Lodonu; a former General-Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Madam Georgina Baiden, and the President of the Ghana Historical Society, Prof
Irene Odotei.
The growth pole theory suggests the promotion of one sector from which other sectors of the economy will develop for overall national economic growth.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, is reported to have suggested the promotion of mining as a growth pole in view of the sector's positive contribution to the country's economy.
The mining industry has come under a barrage of criticisms for destroying the environment and the livelihoods of farmers, thereby deepening poverty in mining communities, as well as being a source of conflict in the communities.
Tebrebe and Teleku-Bokasu are two mining communities that have witnessed violent clashes in recent times, leading to the loss of lives and property.
Representatives of mining communities who attended the workshop reiterated their resolve to resist mining operations in their localities because they would deprive the people of their farmlands and livelihoods.
They claimed that efforts to seek redress to their grievances at various quarters had not yielded positive results and expressed their determination to protect their land and livelihoods from mining companies if the government failed to address their concerns.
The Executive Director of the Wassa Communities Against Mining (WACAM), Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, dismissed the idea of making mining the growth pole of the economy on two grounds - that the growth pole theory was archaic and that even if the theory was relevant, mining could not be the ideal sector to promote as a growth pole.
He said mining companies operated with impunity because the law virtually sought to promote their operations.
He said there was no law, for instance, that stopped anybody from mining anywhere and so if a mining company found gold at the Castle in Osu and managed to convince the government about the benefits likely to be derived from the resource, it would bring down the Castle and mine.
Mr Owusu-Koranteng cited an instance in the past when the Cabinet gave approval for some mining companies to mine in forest reserves, contrary to the law.
He said mining companies were so powerful and influential that they could always have their way, pointing out, however, that Ghanaians must not allow the companies to destroy the nation.
Bishop Lodonu, for his part, said it was important to address the harm mining activities and the extraction of other natural resources were causing to the environment in the interest of posterity.
"A time will come when we will not have any land to farm. We will dig the gold, dig the oil and die of hunger," he remarked.
Making a presentation on, "Natural resource conflict: An overview of the Ghanaian case", a lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Dr Kumi Ansa-Koi, said Africa was inundated with conflicts emanating from natural resources.
He said the extractive industry had been a major cause of the conflicts, which had done more harm than good to the people with women and children being the worst affected.
Dr Ansa-Koi identified poverty, over-concentration of power, bad governance and greed as some of the causes of natural resource-based conflicts and stressed the need to address them in order not to experience horrible situations, such as those in Nigeria.
Contributing to the topic as a lead discussant, a member of WACAM, Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, said although Ghana had not experienced natural resource-based conflicts on a large scale, compared to what pertained in other African countries, signs pointing to that direction were very clear.
She stressed the need for good governance practices to address such conflicts, adding that the quest for foreign investment did not mean "we should disregard the rights of mining communities".
Source: Daily Graphic
http://news.myjoyonline.com/business/200905/29919.asp
Other News – India
All set for distribution of pattas to tribals
K Mahender
First Published : 11 May 2009 08:15:58 AM IST
Last Updated : 11 May 2009 11:21:10 AM IST
WARANGAL: All is set to distribute land documents to the tribals giving them rights on the 44,000 acres of forest lands being cultivated by them in the district. As many as 12,120 tribal families would be benefited, under the Forest Rights Act.
Landless tribals living in forest areas had cut off the trees and begun cultivation.
And had been making a living through it since long.
But the tribals had no right on the land due to the strict Forest laws.
However, the government has introduced the Forest Rights Act in 2007. Tribals in Mulug, Mahaboobabad and Narsampet divisions in the district urged the government to provide them rights on 84,617 acres of forest land under the Act. Over 32,775 tribals submitted applications and after scrutinising them, the officials have decided to handover 44,000 acres of forest land to tribals.
The of ficials received 13,315 applications seeking rights on 44,446 acres in 44 village panchayat limits in Narsampet, Kottagudem, Khanapur, Narsampet and Nallabelli mandals. Apart from tribals in agency areas of Eturunagaram, Tadwai, Mangapet and Govindaraopet mandals, 11,023 tribals in Ghanapuram, Venkatapuram, Bhupalpalli and Mulug mandals -- in the nonplan area -- have also applied seeking right on 29,164 acres falling in 91 gram panchayat limits.
Over 8,437 girijans belonging to 20 village panchayats in Nellikuduru, Kesamudram and Mahaboobabad mandals of Mahaboobabad division also sought right on 10,976 acres.
Speaking to this paper, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) project officer Sunder Abnar said the distribution of pattas has been delayed even though survey had been completed due to stay orders from the High Court. As the stay has been lifted, the patas will be distributed soon after the implementation of the election code is lifted, he added.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=All+set+for+distribution+of+pattas+to+tribals&artid=s75k/UnLDBA=&SectionID=e7uPP4%7CpSiw=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EH8HilNJ2uYAot5nzqumeA==&SEO=
Aboriginals of Australia: Climate Change Threat
Monday, 11 May 2009
Active ImageClimate change will further marginalise Australia’s Aboriginal communities, forcing them out of their traditional lands, destroying their culture and significantly affecting their access to water resources, indigenous rights advocates warn.
Below is an article published by IPS News:
Climate change will further marginalise Australia’s Aboriginal communities, forcing them out of their traditional lands, destroying their culture and significantly affecting their access to water resources, indigenous rights advocates warn.
"As coastal and island communities confront rising sea levels, and inland areas become hotter and drier, indigenous people are at risk of further economic marginalisation, as well as potential dislocation from and exploitation of their traditional lands, waters and natural resources," said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma.
Indigenous people have been living in close affinity with nature for thousands of years, preserving the environment and protecting the biodiversity. "Dispossession and a loss of access to traditional lands, waters, and natural resources may be described as cultural genocide; a loss of ancestral, spiritual, totemic and language connections to lands and associated areas," said the Human Rights Commission’s 2008 Social Justice and Native Title reports launched this week [May 2009].
Aboriginal people account for only 2.5 per cent of the total population, with an estimated population of 517,200, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2006 Census.
"The cruel irony is that indigenous people have the smallest ecological footprint but are being asked to carry the heaviest burden of climate change," Commissioner Calma added.
The government of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has signed the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and committed to reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 if the world agrees to an ambitious global deal to stabilise levels of CO2 equivalent at 450 parts per million or lower by 2050.
The new reports are urging the government to create new partnerships with indigenous Australians in climate change policy and planning.
"The government should fully implement the recommendations of the reports, which highlight important ways that indigenous peoples can be involved in responses to the issues of climate change and water access, while building lasting and sustainable industries that include the best of indigenous knowledge and Western science," Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) Executive Officer Steven Ross told IPS.
Indigenous rights to water are not adequately recognised by Australian law and policy. For example, today [2009] 90 per cent of the water consumed in the Murray-Darling Basin is used to irrigate agricultural lands.
"The reports highlight the need for what we call ‘cultural flows’ - a legal entitlement to water allocations for indigenous peoples to deliver to sites of cultural and ecological significance which would also support maintenance of cultural practices such as ‘bush tucker’ (bushfood) and medicinal plants," Ross added.
The reports also call for positive, practical changes to be made to the native land title system against the looming threat of compulsory acquisition of indigenous lands. The common law of Australia recognises rights and interests to land held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people under their traditional laws and customs.
However, Kevin Smith, an official with Queensland South Native Title Services Limited, told IPS, "the native title system is in need of reform as it contains convoluted, ill-fitting legislative functions and complicated and unfair claim processes, particularly in light of the heavy burden of proof, and it has been bedevilled by policy myopia. Native title has been intentionally excluded from the range of options to address underlying indigenous disadvantage."
Smith proposes "implementing a broader land settlement framework, where native title is a means to an end, not an end in itself - that is, native title should be a tool along with other legislative and administrative tools that assist with redressing indigenous disadvantage."
Keeping to his pre-election promise, Labour Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had last February [2008] offered an historic, unconditional apology to indigenous Australians for the wrongs committed by the State in the past.
Amidst tears and cheers in the Federal Parliament in Canberra, Rudd had said the long awaited "Sorry" three times to members of the 'Stolen Generations’ comprising tens and thousands of children who were forcibly removed from their families between 1900 and 1970 under government assimilation policies to "breed out" their Aborigine blood and supposedly give them a better life.
Australia has since also formally endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and Rudd made "Closing the Gap" between indigenous and non-indigenous people a cornerstone of his national apology.
But the reports caution that while the 'Closing the Gap’ campaign is helping achieve indigenous health equality, the optimism could be short-lived and the current economic downturn would pose real challenges for the Aboriginal communities living largely in remote areas with abysmal access to education and health facilities.
Alcohol abuse, domestic violence, chronic diseases, unemployment, high suicide rates and lawlessness are rife in Aboriginal communities.
The Australian government has signed a bipartisan Statement of Intent to close the life expectancy gap by 2030. However, indigenous Australian children are twice as likely to go to hospital for chronic conditions than non-indigenous children, and are much more likely to die before they are 20.
The reports also warn that destruction of infrastructure like housing and sewerage would expose indigenous communities living in remote areas to greater risk of disease from flooded rubbish and insect-born diseases like dengue fever and malaria.
Indigenous leader, academic and 'Australian of the Year’ Mick Dodson recently told a conference in Alice Springs that ensuring indigenous children attend school is one of the keys to improving Aboriginal health and closing the life expectancy gap. The fact that 30 per cent of indigenous adults lacked basic literacy had a "significant impact" on their health, he said.
Calling for urgent action to address the education crisis faced by indigenous communities, Commissioner Calma pointed out that "many indigenous kids living in remote areas only have a teacher come out to teach them three days a fortnight. These children are being educated in tin sheds with dirt floors."
http://www.unpo.org/content/view/9567/77/
Malaysia court affirms tribes' land rights
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysia's highest court has affirmed a ruling granting land rights to indigenous people that could help them resist oil and logging companies razing their ancestral forests, a lawyer said Sunday.
A panel of three Federal Court judges unanimously ruled that tribes have customary ownership of land they have lived on for generations and state governments cannot take it from them without compensation, said See Chee How, a prominent land rights lawyer.
“It is a landmark decision,” said See of Tuesday's ruling. “It's the first time the Federal Court has affirmed (such) a decision.”
See said he hoped this would bode well for more than 100 other land rights cases still pending in court. Land rights are a key concern for the country's indigenous people, many of whom have been pushed off land without compensation by state governments to make way for development.
State governments claim the tribes have no legal rights to their ancestral land, which is owned by the state. But the tribes, who mostly live in poor settlements in the jungles on Borneo island, argue that the land is theirs because they have lived on it for generations.
In 2007 the Federal Court ruled that a family of the Kedayan group in Sarawak state on Borneo had rights over land they used and that they should be compensated. The government had taken over the land in the 1990s to grant it for oil exploration.
The state government sought a final review of the decision in the more-than-decade-old case, but on Tuesday another Federal Court panel upheld the ruling in favor of the family.
London-based Survival, an international organization supporting tribal peoples, welcomed the court's latest ruling, saying it could help tribes who “are desperately trying to stop logging and oil palm companies razing the forests they rely on for their survival.”
Activists say tribes' livelihood is being threatened by companies that clear land for logging and oil palm projects, and laws that do not recognize or protect their indigenous customs and right to land ownership.
Last year in an unprecedented move, the federal government said it would grant ownership of farming land to about 20,000 indigenous families to improve their lives.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/malaysia/2009/05/11/207705/Malaysia-court.htm
Tibet threatened by global warming
China’s top weather official have warned that Tibet is threatened by global warming, which could cause floods and droughts endangering millions in the nation’s west, state media reported.
“The impact of global warming has accelerated glacial shrinkage, and the melting glaciers have swollen Tibet’s lakes,” Zheng Guoguang, head of the China Meteorological Bureau, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.
“If the warming continues, millions of people in western China will face floods in the short term and drought in the long run.”
Zheng said the temperature in the Tibet region had climbed an average of 0.32 degrees Celsius every decade since records began in 1961 - much higher than the equivalent average national rise of 0.05 to 0.08 degrees, Xinhua said.
Tibet’s temperature rise has also topped the global average increase of 0.2 degrees Celsius every 10 years, according to the report.
The Tibetan plateau, with an average altitude exceeding 4,000 metres (13,300 feet), was a “magnifier” of global warming as it was more sensitive to temperature changes, Zheng said.
In addition to the risk of floods and drought, extreme weather conditions often caused disasters such as landslides, and permafrost in the region could melt and threaten the railway to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.
“Tibet needs to tackle, and adapt to, the persisting climate change,” Zheng was quoted as saying. afp
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C05%5C11%5Cstory_11-5-2009_pg14_3
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