Addis Ababa Green Lights Construction Mineral Production within City Limits

The Addis Ababa City Environmental Protection Authority (AA CEPA) has enacted Directive No. 191/2026, a comprehensive legal framework to regulate the licensing, administration, and oversight of construction mineral production within the capital's limits. This directive addresses the extraction of essential materials such as black stone, gravel, red sand, and river sand, aiming to formalize a previously loosely regulated sector. It introduces stringent requirements, including mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and financial guarantees for land rehabilitation, alongside establishing clear buffer zones where extraction is prohibited. The move is designed to enhance transparency, ensure sustainable resource management, and mitigate environmental degradation amidst the city's rapid urban development.

Addis Ababa, a rapidly expanding metropolis and the political capital of Ethiopia, is experiencing unprecedented growth, fueling a significant demand for construction materials. Historically, the extraction of these vital resources within city limits has often operated with insufficient regulatory oversight, leading to environmental concerns and operational inefficiencies. In response to these challenges, the Addis Ababa City Environmental Protection Authority (AA CEPA) has recently issued Directive No. 191/2026, a landmark legislative instrument designed to bring order and sustainability to the construction mineral production sector within the capital. [4, 28]

This new directive establishes a robust legal framework for the licensing, administration, and monitoring of construction mineral extraction, encompassing materials like black stone, gravel, red sand, and river sand. [3, 5] Its promulgation signifies a critical step towards balancing the city's developmental needs with its environmental protection imperatives. For legal practitioners, understanding the nuances of this directive is paramount, as it introduces new compliance obligations, alters operational landscapes for developers and miners, and reinforces the broader environmental governance framework in Ethiopia.

The regulatory landscape for natural resources in Ethiopia is primarily anchored in the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, which vests the ownership of all natural resources in the Government and the peoples of Ethiopia, imposing a duty on the government to ensure their sustainable utilization and environmental protection. [10, 23] This constitutional mandate is operationalized through various federal proclamations. Key among these is the Mining Operations Proclamation No. 678/2010, which governs all mining operations and related activities across the country, emphasizing orderly and sustainable development of mineral resources and requiring licenses for such activities. [6, 10]

Complementing the mining legislation, Ethiopia's environmental protection framework is built upon foundational instruments such as the Environmental Protection Organs Establishment Proclamation No. 295/2002, which re-established the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and outlined its mandate to ensure that development activities protect human welfare and sustainably utilize resources. [11, 19] Furthermore, the Environmental Impact Assessment Proclamation No. 299/2002 (since replaced by Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Proclamation No. 1317/2025) made EIAs mandatory for projects likely to cause environmental harm, a principle now explicitly integrated into the new Addis Ababa directive. [19, 29] The Addis Ababa City Government Revised Charter Proclamation No. 361/2003 grants the city administration the powers necessary to manage its urban environment and resources, providing the legal basis for local directives such as the one recently issued by AA CEPA. [13, 27]

Directive No. 191/2026, issued by the Addis Ababa City Environmental Protection Authority, introduces a granular and multi-faceted regulatory regime for construction mineral production. It explicitly covers a range of materials, including black stone (basalt), gravel, red sand, red soil, white masonry stone, and river sand, ensuring that a broad spectrum of construction inputs falls under its purview. [3, 5] A significant aspect of the directive is its focus on formalizing the sector by requiring various categories of permits for commercial production, government infrastructure projects, mineral lifting, and machinery installation, thereby closing previous operational loopholes. [3, 4]

The directive mandates stringent environmental safeguards, requiring all license applicants to submit approved Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and provide financial guarantees for land rehabilitation. [3, 5] This aligns with the broader Ethiopian environmental policy, particularly the principles enshrined in the Environmental Impact Assessment Proclamation, ensuring that environmental considerations are integrated into the decision-making process. [19, 29] Furthermore, the directive establishes clear buffer zones, prohibiting mining activities within 500 meters of residential areas, industrial parks, and infrastructure utilities, 25 meters of high-voltage power lines, and 30 meters of riverbanks. [3, 5] These spatial restrictions are crucial for mitigating direct environmental and social impacts, such as noise pollution, dust, and habitat destruction, and for protecting critical infrastructure.

While the directive introduces comprehensive controls, it also provides for specific exemptions. Legal landholders are permitted to extract and use construction minerals from their own property for non-commercial construction purposes without requiring a license or paying fees. [4, 5] This provision acknowledges traditional land use rights while preventing large-scale unregulated commercial exploitation. The varying validity periods for licenses—up to five years for basalt and two years for sand, gravel, and white stone, all subject to annual renewal—reflects a nuanced approach to resource management, potentially allowing for adaptive regulation based on resource depletion rates and environmental conditions. [3, 5] The directive also strengthens enforcement mechanisms by empowering sub-city environmental offices to monitor compliance and curb illegal mining, with non-compliance leading to immediate permit revocation. [3, 4] This decentralized enforcement approach is vital for effective oversight in a large urban area like Addis Ababa.

The Addis Ababa City Environmental Protection Authority’s Directive No. 191/2026 marks a pivotal shift towards a more regulated and sustainable construction mineral sector within the capital. For legal practitioners, this directive necessitates a thorough understanding of the new licensing requirements, environmental compliance obligations, and spatial restrictions. Developers, contractors, and mining companies operating in Addis Ababa must now prioritize comprehensive environmental impact assessments, secure appropriate permits, and be prepared to provide financial guarantees for rehabilitation. The emphasis on transparency, accountability, and sustainable resource management will likely reshape business practices in the construction materials supply chain.

Practitioners should closely monitor the implementation of this directive, particularly how AA CEPA and sub-city environmental offices interpret and enforce its provisions. The effectiveness of the new reporting requirements and the impact of buffer zone enforcement on material availability and pricing will be key areas to watch. Furthermore, the directive sets a precedent for urban environmental governance in Ethiopia, potentially influencing similar regulations in other rapidly developing cities. Legal professionals are advised to proactively guide their clients through these new regulatory complexities to ensure compliance and foster environmentally responsible development practices in Addis Ababa.