Master Plan to resolve mining issues - Minister

THE Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has revealed that the Pilot Land use Master Plan which is in its final leg of preparation will solve mining issues Speaking to The Sunday Times, Stanislas Kamanzi, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, said once the plan is implemented it will assign land according to suitable activities. There have been complaints from several people living in the areas where there are minerals. “The plan will be indicating where minerals are and will provide areas where people can reside. People will thus not just reside anywhere. It will be used to identify suitable land for specific activities and show how land can be used to get the best out of it,” the Minister said. He also noted that the Master Plan will be a fundamental tool in achieving environmental sustainability, economic growth and development, and social cohesion. “Rwanda is a very densely populated country, with intense and constant pressure on land. This makes proper planning of land use even more crucial in order for us to achieve sustainable development.” According to the ministry, the plan addresses various country-wide issues such as ecosystems management, distribution of population, and development of networks for rural and urban settlements, social services and infrastructure. Swedsurvey, a Swedish consulting firm, was contracted to do the architectural work. Ends