Environmental group conducts awareness on sand mining

By GLORIA BAUAI
A MADANG-BASED environmental group recently hosted training on the impacts of sand mining and steps in mitigating its negative impacts on the environment.
Mas Kagin Tapani (Makata) was instrumental in the withdrawal of an exploration licence for black sand mining in Madang’s Sumgilbar local level government (LLG) area of Sumkar last year.
Spokesman Wenceslaun Magun said although Singaporean company Niugini Sands Ltd had pulled out, the threat to the livelihood of the community and the natural environment was still relevant given Papua New Guinea’s lack of policy and legislation on sand mining.
He said educational awareness needed to continue.
Last year, Makata, with the help of former chief justice and Madang governor Sir Arnold Amet, educated the community on their legal rights with regards to sand mining.
“Now we’re educating them on the environmental impact of sand mining so the community is well versed on law as well as the environmental aspect so they can make an informed decision about any sand mining development,” he said.
The training was facilitated by environmentalist Winifred Duk from the University of Goroka and saw participants from Taligid all the way to Murukanam, as well as some from Karkar Island, Yabob and Manus attend.
Magun added that Makata had done awareness with local communities helping them establish locally managed marine areas with community based management plans to protect their resources using conservation deeds.
He said it was important that the government also played a part in this initiative.
“The Mineral Resources Authority should go into communities, inform, educate and get local input before moving forward with reviewing the Minerals Act of 1992 which we know has a lot of gaps, including on sand mining.”