Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
in 1978 with great attention devoted to Cu-Co sites by Malaisse and Brooks.
This period extended until 1986. Nearly 2000 voucher specimens were collected,
resulting in 17 publications (see, e.g., Malaisse et al. 1983 ). Other investigations
were made by Shewry et al. ( 1979 ), Wechuyzen, and a diverse group of botanists
from the Belgian National Botanic Gardens. The fourth period stretched from
1987 to 2002; sporadic collections of plants were made and 14 publications
appeared. Two surveys are to be highlighted: one in the Tenke-Fungurume area
by Malaisse, Dikumbwa, Kisimba and Muzinga, and the other on copper sites
in southcentral Africa, including Katanga by Leteinturier, whose PhD thesis
(Leteinturier 2002 ) greatly advanced our knowledge of the Cu-Co metallophytes,
listing 548 taxa.
Since August 2003, the fifth period, a new Congolese policy was imple-
mented permitting 1644 mining titles in Katanga for Cu-Co sites to about
200 different mining societies. Their activities have to comply with the require-
ments of the applicable laws of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),
notably Mining Law 007/2002 and Decree 037/2003. Mining companies are
required to carry out an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA),
which in turn results in a Biological Diversity Action Plan (BDAP). Botanical
surveys are part of the BDAP but are very rarely undertaken (
5% of the mining
titles), and very fanciful BDAPs have been submitted and accepted by the
Department of Environment of the Ministry of Mines. Examples consist
of surveys giving only poor comments on woodlands but nothing regarding
mineralised areas that were never visited. Moreover Latin names of plants
are inaccurate and frequently misspelt. Such a situation results in complete
destruction of Cu-Co flora and vegetation from mining activities conducted
by most of the so-called 'mining societies'. Moreover, some sites delivered
for mining have not commenced any operational activities. This has provided
a unique opportunity for more than 50 000 (maybe even 100 000) men and
boys (aged 6 years and above) to be involved in illegal mining. These 'miners'
collect heterogenite, a cobalt oxide [CoO(OH)], which is sent to South Africa
without any importation tax at the border, made possible through a Congolese-
Libanese network. About 30 trucks each with 300 sacks of heterogenite move
daily to the south. In some places, small villages of 300 people involved
in illegal mining have been established. This artisanal activity is of great
importance for the survival of these small communities, but surface injury
to the steppe-savanna vegetation may reach near total destruction. Heaps of
sterile rocks and shallow pits produce a lunar desert landscape devoid of all
plant cover.
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The current state of knowledge
The actual number of Cu-Co ore bodies in Katanga is far above that docu-
mented in 1960. If 150 sites have received some botanical investigation (from
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