2011
AMBATOVY SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
38
Resettlement
From December 2007 to February 2008, we relocated
261 households living at the sites to be used for the plant
and tailings. These families were resettled to two villages,
Marovato and Vohitrambato, where they received a range
of compensation aimed at restoring their quality of life and
livelihoods.
The construction of the physical infrastructure was only part of
our commitment to Marovato and Vohitrambato. Our task over
the last three years has been to implement a resettlement
program following the World Bank’s principles on involuntary
resettlement and the IFC’s guidelines for resettlement action
plans. Our strategic objective is to restore the livelihoods and
standards of living among displaced persons through the
provision of appropriate housing with security of tenure at the
resettlement sites.
In 2011, we had an independent firm conduct an external
audit of the resettlement process and results. The review
found that our process was well planned and closely aligned
with key requirements. However, it also pointed out critical
aspects that remained to fulfill our commitments. For example,
some of the livelihood strategies did not perform as expected
so we have worked to implement alternative solutions. We
have integrated this review and its recommendations into the
development of the next phase of the resettlement program.
Ultimately, we want to find both immediate and long-term
solutions to ensure that the resettled communities enjoy a
better quality of life as a result of the resettlement process.
Our resettlement program is divided into four major
categories: governance, livelihoods, health and hygiene,
and education. With this multidisciplinary approach, we are
committed to making sure that all aspects of village life are
restored.
Good Governance
Following the recommendations of the review, we made a
concerted effort in the latter half of 2011 to improve public
consultation and participatory governance in the development
process. We worked with the Development Agency of the
Diocese of Toamasina (
Organe de Développement du
Diocèse de Toamasina, ODDIT
), a local NGO, to provide
strategic support to the village associations. ODDIT did an
evaluation of 16 groups and provided training to 13 of them on
subjects such as leadership, organizational structure, project
planning and improved communication.
We also renewed the Resettlement Committee this year.
Since the physical resettlement took place, the committee had
been inactive. As a result of the recommendations laid out in
the external audit, this committee is now an active participant
working to ensure the remaining aspects of the resettlement
process go smoothly. The Resettlement Committee currently
has 42 members, comprised of resettled people, community
elders, local government, civil society representatives
and regional authorities. The committee facilitated 14
public consultations with the resettled communities, which
allowed the population to discuss the strengths, problems
and proposals regarding issues, such as land tenure,
agriculture, education, infrastructure, rural security and
water and sanitation. The committee also conducted visits
to 20 households to verify the effectiveness of development
programs and help resolve conflicts. Ambatovy facilitated
training for the committee through local NGOs to improve the
institutional capacity of the committee. As part of this training,
the committee visited the mine and local cooperatives in
Moramanga to see effective practices in the area.
7
Due to the proximity of Marovato to the plant site and the city of Toamasina, the population was able to maintain access to its social network and civic amenities, such as their
previous elementary school and health facilities. Therefore, construction of a school and health centre was not necessary.
8
Some families elected to share latrine and shower facilities with neighbouring houses.
Social Performance
QUICK FIGURES
In preparation for resettlement in 2008, Ambatovy built or
allocated:
k
296 new houses
k
47 hectares for farming including space for community
nurseries
k
A health centre in Vohitrambato
k
A primary school in Vohitrambato
7
k
Two preschools and adjoining community centres,
one in each village
k
167 latrines and showers were built in Vohitrambato
and 16 latrines in Marovato
8
k
50 pumps and 4 traditional water pumps
k
3 washing houses in Vohitrambato and 1 in Marovato
k
An additional 334 non-resident farms were affected.
Farmers received either land or cash compensation
