By Ezekiel Talatau
ISABEL province is leading the country in post mining rehabilitation work, ensuring that the environment is restored after the extractive stage has passed.
Speaking to Island Sun, Mr Paul Ikoi, a landowner and a nursery technician for Sumitomo, said that the rehabilitation project is initiated in partnership with the ministries of Mines, Environment and Forestry.
Ikoi shares that it has not been an easy road for the company’s experts as they struggle to find suitable soil, and also decontaminate areas which have been touched by chemicals.
In 2016, former Minister of Mines Mr Samson Maneka visited the sites and said that the works Sumitomo has done impressed him a lot.
He added that Sumitomo has gone beyond the legal obligation to work with the community during the exploration stage.
Such reports is an important legal condition for any mining company to undergo rehabilitation mining areas after mining, he said.
The project was put to an end after the project is accomplished, creating a history landmark for the government and the people in Isabel province.
Ikoi reported that he is currently trying to put this area as an environmental protection site where Environmental students and researches all over the world could come and learn from this project as it is one of the success project in Solomon Islands.
He added that, he is still looking for a fund that could help him to carry out this project for the future of this country.
To date, locals are continue to look after the area and monitoring the growth of the trees planted within the area.
