Client: Myanmar Gems Enterprise (MGE) and Myanmar Gems and Jewellery Entrepreneur Association (MGJEA)
Collaboration: Valentis Resources, Coffey
Raw Materials: Jade
Location: Kachin State, Myanmar
In 2017, Levin Sources was sub-contracted by consulting firms Coffey and Valentis Services Limited to provide expert input into the preparation of Environment Management Plans (EMPs) for ten jade mining zones at the Lonkin/Hpakant Gems tract in Kachin State, Myanmar’s main source of jade.
Levin Sources prepared the environment management measures linked to Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) and provided advice on Large-scale Mining (LSM) – ASM relations, including LSM operations and relationships with illegal stone pickers. Through engagement made on several trips to Kachin State, the Levin Sources team developed recommendations that were astute to the contexts of and generated value for specific stakeholders, while seeking to mitigate or remediate negative impacts.
Jade mining in Myanmar is important for economic development. Mining in the Lonkin/Hpakant Gems Tract has, however, resulted in negative social and environmental impacts, leaving the area at risk from landslides and flooding, rivers and streams at risk from erosion and sedimentation, and native fauna and flora at risk from clearing, dust, and improper waste management. The EMPs developed seek safeguards against these risks and seek opportunities for rehabilitation of mined-out areas.
The EMPs developed by Coffey-Valentis with expert recommendations from Levin Sources provide detailed advice on:
- The laws and regulations for environmental management
- The existing environment and impact assessment
- The environmental framework
- Measures to be adopted to improve environmental performance
- Methods for proper mine closure and rehabilitation
- Performance criteria for determining successful implementation of the EMP
