Introduction

What are the issues?

In several of the regions where we work, extraction of natural resources such as minerals is already a substantial industry. In other regions it is on the rise. The consumption of energy, which is climbing in tandem with population growth, is a factor here. In East Africa, for example, several countries are developing new sustainable energy facilities based on hydro, geothermal, solar and wind energy. 

Role of ESIA and SEA

The transition to renewable energy increases the demand for minerals. These minerals are not necessarily mined responsibly. Too often, mining is accompanied by pollution, biodiversity loss and negative social impacts.  Despite this potential for detrimental impacts, we see that monitoring and enforcement in the mining sector is often lacking or insufficient. SEA at plan level and ESIA at project level provide opportunities to improve this situation and work towards more responsible mining.

Current examples of how we work on impact assessment for responsible mining include multi-annual cooperations with partners such as the Ministry of Mines and Geology in Senegal, or with the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF). We also advise on specific cases, such as the SEA for a spatial plan which includes artisanal gold mining in the Sankarani region in Mali.