Social impact assessment in the mining industry: Current situation and future directions

Abstract:

The Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) Project is an independent two-year project of research and consultation seeking to understand how the mining and minerals sector can contribute to the global transition to sustainable development. MMSD is a project of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) commissioned by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WNCSD).

Notes:

Overall the paper provides a broad analysis of SIA (with minimal mineral sector examples). Primarily Canadian based. This paper was prepared as a background document for the MMSD Project to provide input to the stakeholder engagement process. It relies primariliy on the author's personal experience conducting and reviewing Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) primarily related to the mining industry and on the review document 'Social Impact Assessment and Mining' provided by MacFarlane. (1) A brief description and history is provided of SIA (primarily using Canadian examples) (2) SIA in the Mining Industry -- the social impacts of mining is discussed demonstrating the range of potential impacts on communities and families from a mining project (this section is not country-specific, but rather provides a broad approach). A broad discussion follows this section, on the topics of (a) Public Consultation - with a focus on the process (b) Social Acceptance (nothing substantial here). (3) Challenges & Opportunities - this section discusses the importance of 'following through with social management': Expressing the need for monitoring programs to identify unanticipated social impacts in affected communities; the need also for Social Management Plan (SMP) or Social Action Plans that would be integrated into Environmental Management Plans. Also 'social & cultural context' understandings = needing early social assessment (as a baseline component of SIA).