On April 20 and 21, 2021, the IGF and partners delivered a workshop and piloted a new tool to help government officials in Ethiopia identify gaps in the legal framework for environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) for mining projects in the country. This initiative was part of the Canadian Executive Service Organization and Canadian International Resources and Development Institute’s Supporting the Ministry of Mines (SUMM) program in Ethiopia.
During the workshop, participants used a preliminary version of the IGF’s mining ESIA diagnostic tool to help officials identify gaps in their legal and policy framework. The goal is to guide governments toward international good practice in accordance with the IGF’s Guidance for Governments: Improving Legal Frameworks for ESIA, published in 2020. Working with governments to identify gaps is the first phase of implementing the guidance.
Workshop participants included officials from Ethiopian Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Environment and Community Development Directorate, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission. They used the IGF’s tool to identify and assess gaps in Ethiopia’s legal framework covering ESIA and environmental management. The results of this gap analysis will inform a SUMM training of trainers in May 2021.
These sessions were delivered with assistance from the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment which developed the ESY-Map diagnostic tool in collaboration with the Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment. IGF’s mining-specific ESIA diagnostic tool is based on the ESY-Map tool.
The Secretariat is seeking to deploy its gap analysis tool in other countries. Interested governments should contact Clémence Naré, Outreach Manager and Law Advisor, IGF at cnare@iisd.ca.