‘Stop the environment and social crisis!’ Madagascan community denounces Rio Tinto on day of its AGM

Today, 3 April 2025, on the day of Rio Tinto’s AGM, ACTSA stands with civil society in Madagascar which is intensifying its calls for an independent environmental and human rights impact assessment of the company’s mine in Madagascar.

The Qit Madagascar Minerals (QMM) mine in Southern Madagascar, which mines ilmenite, is 80% owned by Rio Tinto.  It has been linked to dam failures, water contamination and local conflicts – with the local population severely affected in many ways:

• One of the mine’s many impacts  is that weaving and subsistence fishing have been negatively impacts by the destruction of the local environment and natural resources on which communities depend.
• Mining activity has turned an occasionally brackish local lake into a freshwater lake, which fisherfolk say has led to 90% of local fish species disappearing and the loss of livelihoods and food security.
• Poor water quality due to the mine is also thought to be linked to increased rates of unexplained illness in the community.
• At least a quarter of inhabitants have already lost substantial amounts of their agricultural lands to the mine.

Read about on our partner the London Mining Network’s website here.

We stand in solidarity with the affected communities and their demands for justice!

Read the letter here: https://pwyp.mg/en/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/index_eng.pdf and share their calls for change.