Zimbabwe’s drive to increase gold production must be matched by stronger environmental safeguards as the expansion of heap-leaching operations introduces new risks of chemical contamination. The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has warned that accidents at these projects could cause extensive damage to surrounding communities and ecosystems, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
Speaking at the recent Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) Stakeholder Consultative Meeting, held under the theme “Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Gold Mobilisation and Responsible Sourcing”, EMA Environmental Impact Assessment Officer Oliver Kanengoni said the country’s pursuit of higher gold output had to be balanced with responsible mining practices, particularly as new recovery methods increased the scale of potential environmental damage.
“The key message on this one is economic growth in gold mining must not come at the expense of environmental sustainability, public health and the livelihood of future generations,” Kanengoni said.
He singled out the emergence of heap-leaching projects as an example of how changes in gold recovery methods were creating new environmental challenges. Although the projects were contributing to Zimbabwe’s rising gold output, he said their scale and operating methods carried significant environmental risks.
“But if you move around and see how that kind of operation is in terms of environmental impact, it has got a high risk in terms of environmental footprints that they leave, even to our communities, to our environment,” he said.
Heap leaching involves placing gold-bearing ore on specially constructed pads before applying a chemical solution that passes through the material to dissolve the gold. The gold-bearing solution is then collected and processed to recover the metal. The operation requires extensive irrigation and carefully managed containment systems.
The main environmental risk lies in preventing these solutions from escaping the designated processing area. Heap-leach pads are engineered with impermeable liners to contain the chemical solutions, while drainage systems channel the liquid into collection ponds for recovery and recycling.
However, damage to liners, leakage through poorly constructed sections, ruptured pipes or failures in collection ponds can allow contaminated solutions to escape into surrounding soil and water systems. Heavy rainfall can also increase pressure on drainage and storage infrastructure, raising the risk of overflow if water management systems are inadequate.
Such incidents could introduce cyanide and dissolved metals into groundwater and surface water, potentially affecting aquatic ecosystems, agricultural activities and water sources used by nearby communities.
The scale of irrigation involved in the process was central to Kanengoni’s concerns, particularly given the potential consequences of containment system failures.
“Imagine those heap-leach pits are run when they do the gold recovery, they do massive irrigation of those heap-leach pits. Just imagine, in the event of any accident or spillage into the environment, how much are we going to have in terms of damage that is associated with that kind of an operation?” he said.
While heap leaching has become an important part of the changing gold-processing landscape, environmental risks are not confined to newer operations. Zimbabwe’s wider gold sector also faces challenges involving land degradation, biodiversity loss, dust pollution and the handling of hazardous substances used during mineral processing.
Kanengoni identified mercury and cyanide among the chemicals requiring careful management, warning that their improper use could expose communities, wildlife and surrounding ecosystems to harmful substances.
Mercury use remains a particular concern in gold recovery, especially among small-scale operators. Kanengoni said Zimbabwe was pursuing its minimisation, with the longer-term intention of eliminating its use as suitable alternatives became available.
The scale of the gold industry makes these concerns increasingly significant. Zimbabwe recorded 46.7 tonnes of gold deliveries in 2025, up from 36.48 tonnes in 2024, and has set a 50-tonne target for 2026. Small-scale and artisanal miners have been central to the country’s production growth, making environmental compliance across different categories of mining operations an important part of the sector’s expansion.
Beyond chemical management, Kanengoni also highlighted the problem of abandoned mining pits, which can remain open after operations have ended, exposing surrounding communities and livestock to danger.
He said environmental rehabilitation and responsible mine closure needed to form part of mining operations rather than being treated as issues to address only after production had stopped.
Zimbabwe’s environmental regulatory framework requires mining projects to undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before operations commence. The process is designed to identify potential environmental and social impacts and establish measures to prevent, minimise or manage them.
Kanengoni said the Environmental Management Plan contained in an approved EIA was particularly important because it sets out how miners should manage the impacts of their operations and the mitigation measures they are expected to implement.
Public consultation is another component of the process, allowing communities to understand proposed developments, their potential benefits and the environmental risks associated with mining projects.
For smaller operators, EMA has introduced a simplified EIA process under which the agency assists miners with environmental assessments, reducing their reliance on external consultants and making compliance more accessible.
The agency’s emphasis on compliance also comes as environmental standards increasingly influence how mining projects access finance and participate in international markets.
Kanengoni said financial institutions were increasingly requiring environmental certification from companies seeking funding for mining projects. Compliance could also become an important consideration as Zimbabwe pursues export markets with stronger environmental requirements.
“I am happy the banks are around, most of the banks now, if you want to get a loan from, let’s say you want to venture into a mining project, you want to get a loan, they would require you to produce an EIA certificate before you get a loan from the bank,” he said.
He said EMA wanted mining developments to increasingly incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, including responsible resource use, occupational health and safety, community engagement, transparency and sustainable mine closure.
For Zimbabwe’s gold industry, the challenge is becoming twofold: sustaining the production growth needed to strengthen mineral export earnings while ensuring that the methods used to extract and process gold do not leave behind environmental damage and liabilities for mining communities.
As heap-leaching operations become part of the country’s evolving gold-processing landscape, the effectiveness of containment systems, chemical management and environmental monitoring will be critical to determining whether rising production can be sustained without compromising public health and environmental protection.
