‘A big no’: Opposition grows to proposed mine in Malawi’s newest UNESCO site – Mongabay

Report on the Conflict Between Mining Interests and Sustainable Development Goals at Mount Mulanje, Malawi

1.0 Introduction and Context

A proposed bauxite mining project in Malawi’s Mount Mulanje region has created a significant conflict between industrial development and internationally recognized conservation and sustainable development objectives. The area, recently inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a critical hub for biodiversity, cultural heritage, and essential ecosystem services. This report analyzes the situation with a specific focus on its implications for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Location: Mount Mulanje, Southern Malawi.
• Designation: UNESCO World Heritage Site (July 2024).
• Core Conflict: Proposed bauxite mining by Akatswiri Mineral Resources versus conservation, cultural preservation, and sustainable livelihoods.
• Key Stakeholders: Local communities, traditional chiefs, conservation organizations, and Akatswiri Mineral Resources.

2.0 Significance of Mount Mulanje and Alignment with SDGs

Mount Mulanje is an area of immense natural and cultural value, providing resources that directly support the achievement of multiple SDGs for over one million people in the surrounding districts.

2.1 Ecological and Resource Contributions

1. SDG 15 (Life on Land): The mountain is a biodiversity hotspot, home to over 70 endemic species, including the critically endangered Mulanje cedar (Widdringtonia whytei). Its status as a forest reserve is fundamental to protecting terrestrial ecosystems.
2. SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): As the source of nine perennial rivers, the mountain provides essential freshwater for local communities and the city of Blantyre. This function is critical for public health, sanitation, and agriculture.
3. SDG 13 (Climate Action): The mountain’s forests offer vital protection from storms and contribute to climate regulation, embodying nature-based solutions to climate change.

2.2 Socio-Economic and Cultural Contributions

1. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The UNESCO designation as a Cultural Landscape recognizes the “spiritual and ecological harmony between people and nature.” This directly aligns with Target 11.4 to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
2. SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The mountain supports local livelihoods through the provision of firewood, edible forest products, and income from a developing tourism sector.

3.0 Threats Posed by Proposed Mining Operations

The proposed bauxite mining project by Akatswiri Mineral Resources poses a direct threat to the ecological integrity of Mount Mulanje and jeopardizes progress on several SDGs.

3.1 Environmental and Social Impacts

• Contradiction with SDG 15: Strip mining would lead to widespread deforestation, soil erosion, and irreversible habitat destruction for endemic species.
• Risk to SDG 6: The chemical processing of bauxite ore creates “red mud,” a hazardous byproduct that could contaminate the region’s vital water sources, with catastrophic consequences for human and aquatic life.
• Undermining SDG 11: Mining activities are fundamentally incompatible with the preservation of a protected cultural and natural heritage site as recognized by UNESCO.

3.2 Economic and Development Impacts

• Threat to SDG 8: The project threatens to destroy the burgeoning sustainable tourism industry, which provides local employment and retains revenue within the community.
• Jeopardizing SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): A planned $30 million, 6.5-megawatt hydropower facility, intended to power local villages, would be jeopardized by mining-related water degradation.
• Reversal of Conservation Gains: Significant investments by organizations like WeForest and the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) in community-led forest restoration and co-management would be lost, representing a major setback for sustainable resource management.

4.0 Stakeholder Opposition and Alternative Development Pathways

There is strong and unified opposition to the mining project from local leaders and civil society, who advocate for an alternative development model rooted in sustainability.

4.1 Community and Leadership Stance

In August, senior traditional chiefs held a press conference to affirm their unanimous support for the UNESCO listing and their commitment to conservation over exploitation. Traditional Authority Chikumbu, representing 147 village heads, stated, “We say no to mining… a big no to mining,” emphasizing the mountain’s spiritual and life-sustaining importance.

4.2 Sustainable Alternatives for Economic Growth

Opponents argue that long-term, sustainable economic development offers a more viable path to achieving SDG 1 and SDG 8.

1. Tourism Development: Stakeholders propose enhancing the existing tourism infrastructure, modeled on successful systems like that on Mount Kilimanjaro, to generate significant revenue that directly benefits local communities.
2. Agricultural Support: The region is a major tea-growing area, contributing 9% of Malawi’s foreign exchange. Protecting the mountain’s water resources is essential for the continued viability of this key economic sector.
3. Renewable Energy: The completion of the MMCT hydropower project would provide clean energy, fostering local economic development in line with SDG 7.

5.0 Conclusion

The proposed bauxite mining on Mount Mulanje represents a critical juncture for Malawi. Pursuing the project would directly contravene the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to water (SDG 6), terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15), and the protection of cultural heritage (SDG 11). Conversely, rejecting the mine in favor of developing sustainable tourism, agriculture, and renewable energy presents an opportunity to create resilient, long-term economic growth that aligns with both national development strategies and global sustainability commitments.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – The article explicitly states that Mount Mulanje is a “vital source of freshwater” for over a million people in surrounding districts and is a source of drinking water for the city of Blantyre. The proposed mining project threatens these water resources.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The article presents a conflict between two economic development models. On one hand, the proposed bauxite mine promises job creation (1,300 jobs) and revenue ($260 million annually). On the other hand, sustainable tourism is highlighted as an existing and growing industry that provides income for local guides and porters, with potential for significant revenue generation.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The article focuses on protecting Mount Mulanje’s cultural and natural heritage. It mentions the mountain’s “huge spiritual significance,” its status as a sacred site, and its recent inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which directly relates to safeguarding cultural heritage for communities.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – This is a central theme. The article describes Mount Mulanje as a “biodiversity hotspot” with “more than 70 endemic species,” including the “critically endangered Mulanje cedar.” The entire conflict revolves around conserving this mountain ecosystem from the threats of mining, which would cause deforestation, erosion, and habitat degradation.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – The article highlights the role of local institutions and community participation in decision-making. Senior traditional chiefs, community leaders, and civil society organizations are actively voicing their opposition to the mining project, affirming their support for conservation and demanding their inclusion in decisions affecting their heritage and environment.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.
  
  The article’s focus on Mount Mulanje as the source of nine perennial rivers and a vital freshwater source for over a million people directly aligns with this target. The opposition to mining is framed as a necessary action to protect this water-related ecosystem from pollution and degradation.
• Target 8.9: By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
  
  The article presents sustainable tourism as a viable economic alternative to mining. It mentions the existing tourism infrastructure (trail system, mountain huts) and the employment of local guides and porters. The suggestion to develop a permit system similar to Mount Kilimanjaro to generate revenue further supports this target.
• Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
  
  This target is directly addressed through the mountain’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The article emphasizes its status as a “sacred cultural site” and the unanimous support from senior chiefs for the UNESCO listing to conserve its “natural heritage.”
• Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
  
  The entire article is about the conservation of the Mount Mulanje forest reserve. Efforts by organizations like WeForest and MMCT to restore biodiversity, manage fires, and establish community co-management areas are direct actions towards this target.
• Target 15.4: By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development.
  
  As the article is entirely focused on a mountain ecosystem, this target is highly relevant. The text details the benefits the mountain provides—clean water, forest products, storm protection, tourism income, and cultural significance—and the threat mining poses to these essential benefits.
• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
  
  The article’s mention of the “critically endangered Mulanje cedar” and over 70 other endemic species places the conservation debate squarely within this target. Preventing the mining project is presented as an urgent action to halt biodiversity loss and protect threatened species.
• Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
  
  The actions of the senior traditional chiefs holding a press conference to affirm their support for conservation, and the long-standing opposition from community leaders and conservationists against the mining licenses, exemplify the push for inclusive and representative decision-making regarding the use of local natural resources.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 11.4: The inscription of Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a direct, formal indicator of progress in protecting cultural and natural heritage. The stated intention to declare it a “protected monument” is another potential indicator.
• Indicators for Target 15.1, 15.4, 15.5:
  • The number of endemic species (over 70) serves as a baseline for biodiversity.
  • The conservation status of specific species, such as the “critically endangered” status of the Mulanje cedar on the IUCN Red List, is a key indicator of threats to biodiversity.
  • The existence of community co-management areas and monitoring plots established by WeForest can be used to measure the extent of community-led conservation efforts.
  • The area of the mountain zoned as a “forest reserve” is a quantifiable measure of protected land.
• Indicators for Target 8.9:
  • The existence of tourism infrastructure, such as the “10 mountain huts” and the “well-developed trail system,” indicates the level of development in the sustainable tourism sector.
  • The employment of local people as “guides and porters” is an indicator of job creation through tourism.
  • Revenue generated from tourism, while not quantified, is implied as a key economic contribution that could be increased through a permit system.
• Indicator for Target 6.6: The number of people dependent on the mountain for water (“more than 1 million people” plus the city of Blantyre) serves as an indicator of the ecosystem’s importance. The health and flow of the “nine perennial rivers” could be monitored to measure the ecosystem’s status.

4. Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: news.mongabay.com