Mining and Sustainability in the ACP countries: the environmental and social challenges

Håkan Tarras-Wahlberg

Swedish Geological AB

13 December 2010

“when the ores are washed, the water that has been used poisons the brooks and streams, and either destroys the fish or drives them away”

“if we remove metals from the service of man, all methods of protecting and sustaining health and more carefully preserving the course of life are done away with”

(transl. Hoover and Hoover )

This is not exactly new….: Agricola, 1556 (De Re Metallica)

• Environmental impacts and prevention• Socio-economic impacts and prevention• Planning for closure• Small-scale and artisanal mining• The way forward - suggestions

Disposition of presentation

Environmental impacts: Destruction of natural habitat

e.g. Copperbelt, Zambia:~0.3 % of area covered by

mines & waste

e.g. Marine diamonds, South Africa & Namibia

Environmental impacts: Solid waste and contaminants

Copperbelt, Zambia:Env. liabilities or resources? Copperbelt, Zambia:

Cobalt laden stream

No industry produces more waste....

Environmental impacts: Tailings dam failures

Merriesspruit, South Africa

Small scale mining – also contributes to dam failures

1-2 major cases per year....

Environmental impacts: Acid Rock Drainage

e.g. Pueblo Viejo, Rep. Dominicana

low pH, high conc. of dissolved metals

Among the most troublesome issues...

Environmental impacts: Surface water pollution

Cyanide Hg

Metals, process chemicals and turbidity...

Environmental impacts: Soil & air pollution

Dust, metals, gases......

e.g. Kabwe, Zambia

Environmental impacts: Land subscidence & blasting

Coal strip mining, S. Africa

Cracked house, Mufulira, Zambia

Environmental impacts: Erosion, landscape disruption & radioactivity

Coastal diamonds,South Africa

Yellow cake

Open pit gold mining, Ghana

Environmental impacts: General industrial issues

Metal scrap, hydraulic oils, hydro carbons etc...

Environmental monitoring & control

Desk top work, field work, laboratory work, followed by analysis... What are the impacts?

Socio-economic impacts: Mining Communities

Mining companies now rarely take on all societal needs of a mining community, the transition is difficult: e.g. experiences in Zambia & Zimbabwe

Socio-economic impacts: Consultation & Disclosure

The need to provide affected parties with adequate and prior information, enabling them to participate in planning is accepted best practice...

Socio-economic impacts: Distribution of impacts & benefits

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Billion USD

Mines are often important to the national economy – what about the local level?

Socio-economic impacts: Land use conflict

Globally, legal systems differ but usually, surface rights and rights to minerals are seperated. This leads to misunderstandings and conflicts...

Socio-economic monitoring & control

Desk top work and field surveys, followed by analysis... What are the impacts?

Artisanal and small scale miners:

e.g. Salt mining in Ghana

e.g. Alluvial gold mining in Papua New Guinea

Most agree that ASM is poverty driven...

• Illegal• Dangerous• Env. & social

impacts• Hinders investment

& development• Destroys ore

deposits• Short-sighted /

jackpot mentality

• Morally “right”• Important livelihood

for many• Engine for

development & biz development

• Utilises resources that cannot otherwise be mined

Perceptions of “ASM” differ:

Planning for Closure:

e.g. Madagascar

e.g. Ghana

Needs to start allready at planning stage & funds should be set aside..

Way Forward: Strong & competent institutions

Building & strengthening institutions is a never ending task..

Way Forward: Clear/transparent allocation of rights to explore & mine

The very first step in the process, it must be transparent and fair..

Way Forward: Promote responsible investments

e.g. KCCL in Uganda - Cobalt extraction from waste, leading to a major environmental clean up: ”win-win”

Way Forward: Development of domestic expertise & companies

e.g. In PNG, the Wau small scale mining school trains new entrepreneurs in gold mining

e.g. In Ghana, local expertise in rehabilitation and revegetation contribute to more succeful mine closures

Way Forward: Improved public knowledge and participation

e.g. In Kabwe, Zambia, efforts to improve awareness and nutritional status among local communities have proven to be more effective and cost-effective than physical measures of remediation