Africa Awards 2022 Nominees – Resolute Mining Ltd

Best Innovation in Corporate Social Development

Protecting critically endangered species and creating local jobs in Senegal

• The Mako Gold Mine shares a lease boundary with the UNESCO World Heritage listed Niokolo-Koba National Park (PNNK), the second largest national park in West Africa. The park is of global significance as one of the last remaining safe harbours for a variety of highly threatened and critically endangered mammal and bird species in West Africa.
• Resolute respects and values the significance of the environmental sensitivities present in the area and seeks to ensure there is no net loss of critical habitat from the development and management of its mine.
• Its Biodiversity Offset Program, delivered in partnership with an NGO and the Senegal Department of National Parks, aims to significantly improve wildlife protection efforts within a 1700km² area of the PNNK. Objectives include:
  • Develop and implement effective protection across the entire national park
  • Map and assess all natural water points within the park and identify which ones are threatened
  • Assess and strengthen key technical skills of park authority staff – eg rangers, guards
  • Build/maintain critical park infrastructure – e.g. vital access roads, ranger posts
  • Improve communication in the park, particularly for mobile brigades
  • Expand the wildlife monitoring system to measure population trends for key species
  • Increase economic opportunities based on the non-consumptive use of the park’s wildlife