Social Assessment, Engagement and Advice
Issue #41: Social Assessment, Engagement and Advice
Big five - Tough social issues in mining
Many of SRK’s mining clients are active in developing countries. These are often difficult investment environments, where risks include complex political and social issues. Banks that uphold Equator Principles are demanding a more robust approach to social matters, and the Performance Standards of the International Finance Corporation emphasize the effective management of social impacts and the enhancement of development opportunities. SRK’s team of social issues specialists has helped clients adopt and implement responsible social practice in challenging circumstances. read full article…
Consultation towards a social license
The prospect of resource development can promise economic benefits to a community. However, that same development may also raise concerns, particularly about potential negative impacts to environmental or traditional considerations of value. Securing a ‘social license’ through community consultation has become as significant as securing regulatory licenses in most mining jurisdictions. read full article…
Strategies large-scale mining operations may employ in dealing with artisanal mining
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is widely practiced all over Africa. Although subject to different definitions, ASM is generally understood to be small-scale, informal mining based on manual labour and hand tools. This form of mining has mushroomed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in recent years, driven by high commodity prices and demand on one hand, and poverty and the need to secure livelihoods on the other. Large-scale mining operations and artisanal miners are often competing to exploit the same mineral resources, resulting in violent clashes and a disruption of mine/community relations. read full article…
Value added through understanding the local social issues
Towards the end of 2007, SRK Consulting was commissioned to assist with the preparation of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), as well as a suite of Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) that would allow the client to secure funding from Equator Principles Financial Institutions. The project took place in the once prosperous Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, which is an area renowned for its vast mineral wealth – particularly in copper and cobalt. Due to the country’s turbulent past, limited data on the local socioeconomic environment was available for use in the ESIA. read full article…
Tracking local skills in support of a commitment to employ locally
Skills Registration is a tool that can be used to compile an inventory of the skills of the people living in the vicinity of a greenfields project. This knowledge, especially when obtained ahead of employment, is of value to developers who seek to employ locally as well as develop the capacity of local people. read full article…
Calculating resettlement costs
What should we consider when calculating relocation and resettlement costs from a best-practices point of view? Numerous considerations are applicable in answering this question, specifically because the IFC performance standards indicate that resettlement must leave all parties with equal or better circumstances than before. In order to highlight the total effort and cost implications of a resettlement, SRK recommends a comprehensive accounting investigation with the purpose of identifying all possible cost implications of resettlement. read full article…
The U.S. National Environmental Policy Act and Native Americans
The successful engagement and consultation with Native American Tribes for major federal actions, under the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other laws, requires using both formal and informal facilitation processes to resolve possible conflicts. SRK is involved worldwide meeting impact and consultation requirements at the international, national and local level. In the United States, the NEPA is the guiding force for public disclosure and consultation on environmental and social impacts involving federal actions. The Act mandates that impacts to environmental, social and cultural resources are evaluated and made known. read full article…
Stakeholder engagement: A key ingredient for project success
Prior to the late 1970s, the environmental and social impacts of large dam developments were not considered a priority in the decision-making and implementation processes of developers constructing dams. Through Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), the voices of sociologists and environmentalists, as well as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and community members now inform the construction of large dams. This change has ensured a fuller knowledge and understanding of the benefits, impacts and risks associated with constructing large dams. read full article…
Community input into Red Dog mine closure plan
The Red Dog mine in northwest Alaska was developed under an innovative operating agreement between Teck Alaska and the NANA Regional Corporation, a Native corporation owned by the local Inupiat people. The operation has injected more than a half billion dollars into the local economy, and over 50% of its current employees are NANA shareholders. Although mining at Red Dog is expected to continue for another 20 years or more, State of Alaska law requires the operation to develop and fund a comprehensive closure plan. Teck and NANA asked SRK’s Vancouver and Anchorage offices to help develop the plan. read full article…
Recent SRK experiences with stakeholder engagement processes
Stakeholder consultations are generally considered an essential part of the impact assessment process, as the environmental policies in many countries have been influenced by internationally-accepted best practice, particularly the standards of the World Bank Group. Nevertheless, in practice, implementing the stakeholder consultation process can vary significantly from country to country. Some selected experiences are presented here. While the first three cases illustrate the constraints affecting the consultation process, the last one shows a constructive approach to improve the quality of stakeholder involvement. read full article…
Stakeholders strengthen pipeline EIA
SRK Consulting completed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the South African component of a petroleum pipeline proposed by Petroline Holdings Ltd. Because this 380km linear development crosses from Matola in Mozambique through Mpumalanga to Kendal in South Africa, an extensive public participation process was needed to ensure representative stakeholder involvement. The pipeline represents the first private petroleum development of its kind in South Africa. SRK’s specialist team selected the proposed corridor to minimise hydrological, ecological, economic and social impacts from a number of alternative routes initially identified by Petroline. read full article…
SRK adds socio-economic value to project investments
In terms of current international standards and in the regulatory requirements of many countries, many mining and industrial projects require a full Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Management Plan (ESMP). While an ESIA is critical for identifying and assessing project-related impacts, it is the management plan that shows how the impacts should be addressed. Without appropriate management planning and the systems and capacity to implement it, an impact assessment is an academic exercise. read full article…
UK partners building skills in South African water sector
Partners for Water and Sanitation (PAWS) was established at the World Summit for Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002. PAWS mobilises support from the private sector, the government and non-governmental organisations in the UK to help developing countries meet their Millennium goals for water and sanitation. The program is strictly demand-driven and currently operational in South Africa (SA), Ethiopia and Nigeria. Over 40 PAWS UK partner organisations offer technical, management and legal expertise by releasing relevant staff to contribute their skills within specific terms of reference. UK organisations and companies cover their staff costs, and PAWS manages the projects and funds travel and related expenses. read full article…
Building early community relationships
Community consultation is a key part of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process. On behalf of Oromin Joint Venture Group (Oromin), SRK Consulting Canada recently initiated a public consultation program as part of the ESIA process for Oromin’s potential new mine at Sabodala in Senegal. The Oromin Sabodala project is currently in the prefeasibility phase. read full article…
Enhanced social impact management
After almost a century of copper and cobalt mining and post-colonial civil war, Kolwezi, located in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was left with a degraded environment and a quarter of a million people subsisting on artisanal mining and agriculture. SRK Consulting’s environmental and social team based in Johannesburg has been involved in mining rejuvenation projects in Kolwezi since 2002, including the completion of three environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) in accordance with international good practice guidelines. read full article…
Consultation for a major Bauxite project in Suriname, South America
SRK South Africa undertook a comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of a major bauxite project in Suriname, between 2005 and 2008. The client proposed to mine bauxite in the mountains of western Suriname, and to transport it by train and barge to a refinery in the north-east of the country. The project entailed two ESIA processes, for mining and transport. The ESIAs were guided by the Performance Standards of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). read full article…
Intricacies and application of international standards and principles
Over the past two decades, the mining industry has been increasingly moving towards environmental and social sustainability, and companies are taking into account the clear benefits of being perceived as good socio-environmental performers, building good stakeholder relations and securing a social license to operate. In recent years this change has become a more structured and clearly defined path to follow, as numerous international environmental and social standards, guidelines, benchmarks and best practice principles have been developed. read full article…
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