03 Apr 2024

Ambitious researchers in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), continue to develop technologies that can enhance mine waste management in Botswana. 

A study conducted by some of the students at the department, indicated that with the expansion of the mining industry, associated environmental problems increased because some mining operations were not compliant with the provisions of environmental safety. 

According to the study, the BCL copper mine was reported to have generated serious environmental problems that were directly related to poor mine waste management. 

Speaking in an interview with BOPA, Prof. Venecio Ultra, said there were a number of abandoned mines in Botswana, while currently there were inadequate methods in place to contain waste generated, hence the aim was to rehabilitate heavy metal polluted areas, citing the Francistown Gold Mine and the BCL Mine in Selebi-Phikwe as examples. 

He noted in Selebi-Phikwe, an assessment was conducted and it was found out that there were high levels of heavy metals in the soil, plants and water, an impact of the BCL Mine on the surrounding environment. 

“For the last five years, we have developed a number of technologies for clean-up at the mines,” he said. “Now the challenge was how do we implement them, and that is where there was need for a strong political will. Government should implement these technologies.”

At BIUST, Prof. Ultra said, they developed a technology that would clean up the acid mine drainage, that is the acidic heavy metal contained in the water from the mines. He said with the BCL liquidation process almost complete, they would propose to government that they start water treatment at the mine using the developed technology. 

Prof. Ultra said the goal was to convert contaminated water into water that is safe for agricultural use, citing an example of the citrus plantation in Selebi-Phikwe as potential beneficiary of the project. “Citrus plantation needs plenty of water. 

Currently they are using water from the dam, therefore competing with domestic use. We need to provide an alternative source for irrigation,” he said. 

Prof. Ultra said another technology was developing a farming system, which would enable farmers to produce crops that contained less amount of heavy metals and at the same time being safe for human consumption. 

He said currently they were doing field experiment on the system, while it was in its second year of evaluation and the results are impressive and promising. 

He said the results of the first evaluation had already been presented to the Selebi-Phikwe Town Council and hopefully their recommendations would be adopted. 

There was also another technology developed at BIUST to be used in the extraction of essential oil from plants. Prof. Ultra said essential oil could be used in medical drug manufacturing, perfumery and cosmetics, among others. Ends