Sustainable Minerals Operations In The Developing World (geological Society Special Publication) (no. 250)

The sustainable development of minerals, which are non-renewable resources, is a major challenge in today?’s world. In this regard the true definition of ?‘sustainability?’ is a debating point in itself: can such a concept exist with respect to non-renewable resources? Perhaps the ideal sustainability model is one that minimizes negative environmental impact and maximizes benefits to society, the economy and regional/national development. Developed and near-developed economies rely for commodity supplies on developing countries where major mining operations are often a mainstay of the domestic economy. Limited environmental regulation and low wages lead to charges of exploitation. Also, large numbers of people have no alternative to living by informal, often dangerous, ?‘artisanal?’ mining. This Special Publication gives examples from developing countries from all scales of mineral extraction. The volume reviews environmental, economic, health and social problems and highlights the need to solve these before sustainability can be achieved. The better solutions require mutual understanding, through full involvement of all stakeholders, education, training and investment so that small-scale and artisanal mines can grow into well-managed operations. At larger scales, most major international mining companies have now improved their practices and are monitoring their progress, although there is no room for complacency in this rapidly changing area.Also available: Petroleum Geology of Africa: New Themes and Developing Technologies - ISBN 1862391289 Mine Water Hydrogeology and Geochemistry - ISBN 1862391130 Industrial Minerals and Extractive Industry Geology: Based on Papers Presented at the Combined 36th Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals and 11th Extractive Industry Geology Conference, Bath - ISBN 1862390991 Zambia is a land-locked country occupying an area of 752 614 km2, with the geology dominated by Archaean to Neoproterozoic age rocks that contain significant mineral resources. Economically, the most important of these are the Neoproterozoic Katangan rocks, which yield the copper and cobalt ores exploited in the Zambian Copperbelt. Copper and Cobalt exports account for over 80% of Zambia's foreign exchange earnings. Coal-bearing rocks of Karoo age (Permo-Carboniferous to Early Jurassic age) occur in rift valley basins such as the mid-Zambezi Valley in the south of the country. Issues such as a lack of capital investment led to privatization of the Zambian large-scale mining industry. Smaller scale gemstone mining is becoming increasingly important. For example, in 1998, the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development granted over 200 gemstone-mining licenses, 30 small-scale mining licenses and prospecting permits, and over 70 artisanal mining rights for various minerals. A policy Framework Paper (1999-2001) published by the Zambian Government encourages the formalization of small-scale mining activities through the provision of licenses for small-scale mining and gemstone trading, and the establishment of four regional mining bureaus for licensing and other services to the mining community. Furthermore, the Government has embarked on a Mining Sector Diversification Project with the support of the European Union, with the objectives of increasing export earnings through economic diversification, generating employment opportunities and contributing to poverty alleviation. In addition, the new policies and legal framework encourage private ownership of medium- and large-scale mining operations, and development of new mines. Currently, all former Government-owned mines that were under Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Limited have been privatized. These activities are slowly generating much needed new investment to the mineral industry in Zambia. For many years, copper mining has supported the social and economic development of Zambia, accounting for around 90% of all Zambia's foreign exchange earnings in 1991. Copper reserves are steadily declining, with total reserves remaining estimated at just over 2 billion tonnes at an average grade of 2.51% total copper. There are no recent economic mineral deposits discoveries to replace depleting copper reserves. Lead and zinc mining at Kabwe finished The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector in sub-Saharan Africa is a sector usually associated with conflict minerals, fatal diseases, smuggling, criminal activity and civil war. Throughout Africa the ASM sector is unfortunately viewed in a negative and distorted manner with little appreciation or understanding for the realities and hardship of miners, their families and communities. However, the sector is burdened and plagued with issues ranging from child labour, gender inequality, the spread of HIV/AIDS, environmental devastation, poor health and safety, migrant workers, lack of capital and fair markets, and conflict with the private large-scale mining sector. The paper discusses the many overlapping and complex drivers, challenges, constraints and issues that characterize the sector and considers the potential solutions through the adoption of appropriate best practice, hopefully leading to sustainable livelihoods in the ASM sector and overall poverty alleviation. Key issues, such as institutional capacity, governance, assistance schemes, legislation, miners' organizations, gender mainstreaming, child labour, health and safety, environmental protection, mineral trading and marketing, adding value, finance and credit, and the coexistence with the large-scale mining sector are all detailed. The paper also highlights ideas of what individual countries can do to help formalize and provide assistance to this vulnerable sector. Some of what is discussed concurs with the findings of the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) Project, the multi-donor Communities & Small-Scale Mining (CASM) initiative, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) - Yaoundé Seminar on ASM in Africa, and most recently the African Mining Partnership (AMP). The bulk of this paper, however, has come from the experience gained by the author while managing and working on numerous projects commissioned by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank, United Nations, various African Governments, private mining companies and NGOs in over 20 African countries Cover......Page 1 Frontmatter......Page 2 Contents......Page 6 Sustainable Minerals Operations in the Developing World: introduction......Page 8 The need and context for sustainable mineral development......Page 12 Enhancing the contribution of mining to sustainable development......Page 16 The role of minerals in sustainable human development......Page 31 Sustainable river mining of aggregates in developing countries......Page 41 Markets for industrial mineral products from mining waste......Page 52 Sustainable small-scale gold mining in Ghana: setting and strategies for sustainability......Page 65 Approaches to sustainable minerals development in Zambia......Page 77 Sustainable mineral development: case study from Kenya......Page 91 Artisanal and small-scale mining in Africa: the poor relation......Page 98 FarmLime: low-cost lime for small-scale farming......Page 124 Mineral resources and their economic significance in national development: Bangladesh perspective......Page 130 Obstacles in the sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale mines in Pakistan and remedial measures......Page 138 Mining and environmental problems in the Ib valley coalfield of Orissa, India......Page 144 The Gold Ridge Mine, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands' first gold mine: a case study in stakeholder consultation......Page 151 Construction raw materials in Timor Leste and sustainable development......Page 162 Capacity building of developing country public sector institutions in the natural resource sector......Page 185 Sustainable development and minerals: measuring mining's contribution to society......Page 195 System dynamics modelling: a more effective tool for assessing the impact of sustainable development policies on the mining industry......Page 212 Sustainable mineral development: possibilities and pitfalls illustrated by the rise and fall of Dutch mineral planning guidance......Page 223 The emperor's new clothes: sustainable mining?......Page 231 Index......Page 240 Backcover......Page 247 This book is a collection of keynote reviews and detailed case-studies covering the principal areas of active research and state-of-the-art industrial practice in the field of mine water management. It addresses both issues of water quantity (such as the impact of longwall mining on the piezometry and hydraulic properties of overlying aquifers) and water quality (spanning an array of sites from deep coal mines to open-pit base metal mines), as well as a wealth of hybrid, integrated studies in which hydrogeological and geochemical aspects are considered (and managed) together. The papers presented in this book are intended for practising geologists and engineers involved in the management of active and abandoned mine sites all over the world. It is also of interest to academic geoscientists and students with interests in low-temperature aqueous geochemistry and the hydrogeology of complex, quasi-karstic groundwater flow systems. Also 200 Years of British Hydrogeology (Geological Society Special Publication) - ISBN 1862391556 Energy, Waste and the A Geochemical Perspective (Geological Society Special Publication) - ISBN 186239167X The Geological Society of London Founded in 1807, the Geological Society of London is the oldest geological society in the world, and one of the largest publishers in the Earth sciences. The Society publishes a wide range of high-quality peer-reviewed titles for academics and professionals working in the geosciences, and enjoys an enviable international reputation for the quality of its work. The many areas in which we publish in -Petroleum geology -Tectonics, structural geology and geodynamics -Stratigraphy, sedimentology and paleontology -Volcanology, magmatic studies and geochemistry -Remote sensing -History of geology -Regional geology guides As frontier exploration in Africa moves into ever-deeper water and new basins, there is an increasing need to mitigate the high costs by reducing risk. One way of doing this is by drawing on knowledge from other areas. The book includes regional papers ranging from syntheses on a continental scale to details of the salt tectonics of the West African margin. It also addresses the need to continue using technologies to their limits by including papers on topics as diverse as gravity interpretation and fluid inclusion studies. The book provides essential reading for those requiring further insight into the origins of Africa's diverse petroleum systems, and will be key to geologists and geophysicists involved in the exploration for and exploitation of oil and gas throughout Africa. Of particular note in is the supplementary CD containing maps of Africa's petroleum basins classified by age of target reservoir system. The Geological Society of London Founded in 1807, the Geological Society of London is the oldest geological society in the world, and one of the largest publishers in the Earth sciences. The Society publishes a wide range of high-quality peer-reviewed titles for academics and professionals working in the geosciences, and enjoys an enviable international reputation for the quality of its work. The many areas in which we publish in -Petroleum geology -Tectonics, structural geology and geodynamics -Stratigraphy, sedimentology and paleontology -Volcanology, magmatic studies and geochemistry -Remote sensing -History of geology -Regional geology guides Hydrogeological information is crucial to the development of a sound environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a proposed mine, as well as the management of potential environmental impacts during and after exploitation. However, the determination of hydrogeological parameters is not customarily included in mineral exploration surveys, with the result that many EIAs end up being rather light in hydrogeological content. Examples from the Tarkwa gold mining district of Ghana illustrate this point. Consequences of such an inadequate hydrogeological understanding are potentially serious, ranging from an inability to predict future problems in water quality after the cessation of mining, to a lack of understanding of hydrogeological controls on slope stability, which is arguably manifest in the catastrophic spill of cyanide-rich processing effluents from a breached tailings dam at Wassa West, near Tarkwa, on 16 October 2001. To redress this deficiency, we propose that a hydrogeological database be assembled during the mineral exploration phase, according to a specified protocol ('check-list'). Using these data, a rational conceptual hydrogeological model for the mine site and its surrounding area can be developed, providing the basis for a thorough consideration of groundwater aspects within the statutory Environmental Impact Assessment, which is (as in most other countries) required by Ghanaian government statute before a mining lease is approved. The resources required to set-up such a database are small compared to the benefits

the Sustainable Development Of Minerals, Which Are Non-renewable Resources, Is A Major Challenge In Today's World. In This Regard The True Definition Of 'sustainability' Is A Debating Point In Itself: Can Such A Concept Exist With Respect To Non-renewable Resources? Perhaps The Ideal Sustainability Model Is One That Minimizes Negative Environmental Impact And Maximizes Benefits To Society, The Economy And Regional/national Development. Developed And Near-developed Economies Rely For Commodity Supplies On Developing Countries Where Major Mining Operations Are Often A Mainstay Of The Domestic Economy. Limited Environmental Regulation And Low Wages Lead To Charges Of Exploitation. Also, Large Numbers Of People Have No Alternative To Living By Informal, Often Dangerous, 'artisanal' Mining. This Special Publication Gives Examples From Developing Countries From All Scales Of Mineral Extraction. The Volume Reviews Environmental, Economic, Health And Social Problems And Highlights The Need To Solve These Before Sustainability Can Be Achieved. The Better Solutions Require Mutual Understanding, Through Full Involvement Of All Stakeholders, Education, Training And Investment So That Small-scale And Artisanal Mines Can Grow Into Well-managed Operations. At Larger Scales, Most Major International Mining Companies Have Now Improved Their Practices And Are Monitoring Their Progress, Although There Is No Room For Complacency In This Rapidly Changing Area.

this Book Is A Collection Of Keynote Reviews And Detailed Case-studies Covering The Principal Areas Of Active Research And State-of-the-art Industrial Practice In The Field Of Mine Water Management. It Addresses Both Issues Of Water Quantity (such As The Impact Of Longwall Mining On The Piezometry And Hydraulic Properties Of Overlying Aquifers) And Water Quality (spanning An Array Of Sites From Deep Coal Mines To Open-pit Base Metal Mines), As Well As A Wealth Of Hybrid, Integrated Studies In Which Hydrogeological And Geochemical Aspects Are Considered (and Managed) Together.

the Papers Presented In This Book Are Intended For Practising Geologists And Engineers Involved In The Management Of Active And Abandoned Mine Sites All Over The World. It Is Also Of Interest To Academic Geoscientists And Students With Interests In Low-temperature Aqueous Geochemistry And The Hydrogeology Of Complex, Quasi-karstic Groundwater Flow Systems.

The sustainable development of minerals, which are non-renewable resources, is a major challenge in today's world. In this regard the true definition of 'sustainability' is a debating point itself: can such a concept exist with respect to non-renewable resources? This Special Publication gives examples from developing countries of all scales of mineral extraction. It reviews environmental, economic, health and social problems and highlights the need to solve these before sustainability can be achieved