Reconciling nature with human land use by restoring mined-out diamond sites
Too often, artisanal and small-scale diamond mining has a negative impact on communities, including unsafe abandoned pits, depleted soil, and contaminated water.
RESOLVE created the Peace Diamonds Restoration Initiative to restore, rehabilitate, and repurpose mined-out lands. Peace Diamonds targets countries where artisanal diamond mining is prevalent, starting in Sierra Leone. We focus on land restoration and conservation and support social enterprise and livelihoods initiatives.
RESOLVE field staff work with national and local governments, traditional leaders, and other community members. Together, we turn abandoned pits into arable land for agricultural and other sustainable land uses while improving public health and safety. The initiative also promotes women’s participation in decision-making and offers entrepreneurial workshops for women and girls who ultimately become the primary stewards of the land following restoration.
The Peace Diamonds Restoration Initiative launched with a catalytic grant from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation as a founding supporter. Brilliant Earth and the Gemological Institute of America are also providing funding to support the initiative. The design of the initiative and early pilots was supported by the Anglo American Foundation.
At RESOLVE, we’re here to tackle the toughest global challenges. The ones nobody else wants to touch. Where people are in conflict and planet problems are stuck. We’re here to unstick them. It’s not easy. It takes grit and ingenuity. And finding and working with the right partners. But we’re not called RESOLVE for nothing.
