23 Ecosystem Services 23.1 Introduction - Rio Tinto - Rio … 23 Ecosystem Services 23.1 Introduction This chapter presents the assessment of the ecosystem service impacts and dependencies

Simandou SEIA Volume I Mine Chapter 23: Ecosystem Services

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23 Ecosystem Services 23.1 Introduction This chapter presents the assessment of the ecosystem service impacts and dependencies of the Simandou Mine. Since ecosystem services represent the intersection of the natural and human environment (see box below), this chapter draws upon the baseline information and analysis conducted in other relevant parts of the SEIA. This chapter is not intended to be read in isolation, instead it presents and assesses the key ecosystem service considerations from each relevant chapter, including key inter-linkages. The findings of the assessment in this chapter have been used to inform the impact assessment and mitigation processes in each relevant technical chapter.

Ecosystem services are benefits that ecosystems provide to people. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (1) classified them into four main categories to provide a clear and consistent classification scheme. Provisioning services are the goods or products obtained from ecosystems, such as food, timber, medicines, fibre, and freshwater. Regulating services are the benefits obtained from an ecosystem’s control of natural processes, such as climate regulation, disease control, erosion prevention, water flow regulation, and protection from natural hazards. Cultural services are the nonmaterial benefits obtained from ecosystems, such as recreation, spiritual values, and aesthetic enjoyment. Supporting services are the natural processes such as soil formation, nutrient cycling and primary productivity that maintain other ecosystem services.

In line with the IFC Performance Standards, this chapter identifies and prioritises ecosystem services in the mine study area, establishing those services likely to be impacted by the project that are of relevance to local communities. It then outlines the mitigation measures to be undertaken by the Project in order to maintain the value and functionality of these services. The remainder of the chapter is structured as follows: Section 23.2 provides a description of the approach and methods used for the assessment, including

defining the study area, preliminary screening of impacts, and relevant performance standards;

Section 23.3 provides a description of the current baseline conditions at the proposed mine site and presents the findings of the prioritisation exercise for ecosystem services in the study area;

Section 23.4 provides a description of ecosystem service dependencies by the Project and presents the

findings of the prioritisation exercise for these services; Section 23.5 provides an assessment of the impacts on ecosystem services; Section 23.6 presents mitigation measures and residual impacts; Section 23.7 presents management measures for ecosystem service dependencies of the mine; and Section 23.8 presents a summary of findings of the assessment.

(1) Millennium Eco system Assessment. Available at http://www.maweb.org/en/index.aspx


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23.2 Approach 23.2.1 Overview The ecosystem services assessment is prefaced by a preliminary screening exercise (Section 23.2.3), the results of which are used to determine the scope of the assessment and are the first step in prioritising ecosystem services in the mine study area. This is followed by a baseline analysis of potentially impacted services in the area, including the importance of these services to beneficiaries and the availability of sustainable and accessible replacements. The findings of the baseline analysis are then used to provide a final list of Priority Ecosystem Services (Section 23.3.2). The impact assessment describes direct and indirect impacts on ecosystem services from mine activities using the methodology described below and in line with the analysis conducted in the topic area chapters of the SEIA. Project-wide and cumulative impacts associated with other projects are not addressed in this chapter but are discussed where relevant in Volume IV: Project Wide Assessment of the SEIA. The ecosystem services assessment is interlinked with a number of topics from other chapters of the SEIA including those listed below: Chapter 4: Scoping and Stakeholder Engagement - past and future stakeholder engagement relating to

ecosystem services; Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste - impacts on erosion and topsoil quality; Chapter 6: Water Environment - impacts on drainage and flood control; impacts on water quality Chapter 9: Local Climate – impacts on local climate regulation services; Chapter 10: Greenhouse Gas Assessment - carbon sequestration and global climate implications; Chapter 12: Biodiversity - impacts on habitats and species; Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage - impacts on Living Cultural Heritage; Chapter 14: Landscape - impacts on aesthetic value (cultural service); Chapter 18: In-Migration - impacts resulting from in-migration and induced access; Chapter 19: Land Use and Land-Based Livelihoods - impacts on natural resource based livelihoods; and Chapter 21: Community Health, Safety and Security - health impacts relating to natural resource

availability and quality. 23.2.2 Study Area The study area for ecosystem services takes into consideration the following factors: the likely distance at which the proposed mine will impact the availability and functionality of ecosystem services; the likely distance that people are willing to travel to utilise natural resources on a regular basis; and the water catchments likely to be affected by the mine (as defined in Chapter 6: Water Environment). For a small subset of services, a wider area of influence has been defined when a reduction in an ecosystem service is expected to impact beneficiaries in a wider geographic area. For most terrestrial Provisioning services, the assessment assumes that the furthest distance people will regularly travel to access these services is 10 km (1). For all provisioning and cultural services except bushmeat and water resources, this is also believed to be a reasonable distance to assess potential impacts on ecosystem services from mine activities. Therefore, the basic study area is defined as a 10km radius from the major components of mine infrastructure (see Figure 23.1) (2). This study area extends slightly further into Beyla Prefecture to account for areas that may face significant levels of in-migration due to the presence of the mine. Chapter 15: Socio-Economic and Community Baseline provides more information about the socio-economic environment in impacted villages and prefectures.

(1) Stakeholder interviews during preparatory fieldwork leading to development of the Pic de Fon Management Plan indicated that people typically travelled <5km to gather resources such as fuelwood. In some cases they reported traveling as far as 10 km. (2) For many services, the distance to be considered for impacts and mitigation measures at the village level will be much smaller eg a reasonable distance to travel to cultivated fields or to access water or wild plants may be much smaller, and the design of detailed mitigation and restoration measures will take these smaller distances into account as part of the consultation process.

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Client: Taille: Titre:

Date: 12/06/2012

Dessiné par: WB

Vérifié par: EC

Approuvé par: KR

Projet: 0131299

Echelle: Comme Barre d’échelle

Légende:

Figure 23.1Zone d'études pour l'évaluation des services écosystémiques /Study Area for Ecosystem Services Assessment

Zone d'études des services écosystémiques /Ecosystem Services Study AreaTracé indicatif de la voie ferrée /Indicative Rail AlignmentUsine et infrastructures minières /Mine Plant & InfrastructureContour de mine / Mine Outline

Terril de stériles / Waste EmplacementProjet de route de la mine /Proposed Mine Road

Agglomération / SettlementChef lieu de préfecture / Prefecture Chief TownChef lieu de sous-préfecture / Sub-Prefecture Chief Town

Village / VillageAutre implantation importante / Other Significant SettlementRoute principale / Primary Road

Route secondaire / Secondary Road

Route tertiaire / Tertiary Route

Cours d'eau / Watercourse

Projection: WGS 1984 UTM Zone 29N

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In addition to the core study area, a wider area of influence was deemed appropriate for specific ecosystem services. These are described below. In the case of bushmeat, the study area is defined as a radius of 20 km, in keeping with the definition

used by Chapter 12: Biodiversity for the maximum distance at which the mine will influence terrestrial biodiversity receptors. In addition, the wider area of influence for this service extends to the wider Nzérékore region of Guinea, to account for the probable reach of the local bushmeat trade.

In the case of provisioning and regulating services associated with freshwater resources and erosion

regulation, the mine area of influence is defined in Chapter 6: Water Environment as the water resources (groundwater, springs, streams, rivers, lakes or other permanent or seasonal water bodies) and their respective uses that lie downstream of the mine activity ie the mine affected river basins. Chapter 6: Water Environment provides a summary of the impacted basins and the communities relying upon them for water resources.

23.2.3 Preliminary Screening Table 23.1 presents the findings of a preliminary screening exercise. This has been used to define a preliminary list of ecosystem services to include in the impact assessment. At the screening stage, predicted impacts on ecosystem services grouped into three categories: moderate or higher, minor, and not significant. Since this is a screening exercise, the potential impact ratings should not be interpreted as an ultimate determination of significance but rather an assessment of the potential for an impact on a service to occur and the potential level of that impact. Potential impacts related to all phases of the mine (construction, operation, and closure) are incorporated into the screening exercise. The screening exercise identifies the most likely direct, indirect and secondary drivers of ecosystem change that may result in a decline in ecosystem services for beneficiaries. World Resources Institute cites the five most significant direct drivers of ecosystem change as: changes in local land use and land cover, harvest and resource consumption, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change (1). In addition, indirect drivers of ecosystem change can include demographic, economic, sociopolitical and religious or scientific and technological factors that lead to changes in resource consumption. This broad list of potential drivers has been narrowed to focus on the key sources of potential impacts on ecosystem services relevant to mine activities, including: occupation of land during mine construction and operation, resulting in habitat loss, degradation and

fragmentation and / or reduced access to resources for beneficiaries;

disturbance to habitats and species (including introduction of invasive species, and activities causing habitat degradation);

impacts on surface water due to pollution, resource use (eg mine abstractions) and land use change;

and impacts on availability and quality of resources due to demographic and economic changes relating to

the influx of people seeking potential employment at the mine.

The results of the preliminary screening exercise incorporating this list of drivers is provided in Table 23.1. Ecosystem services for which potential impacts are expected to be moderate or higher are carried over from the screening exercise into the baseline and impact assessment; services that have been screened out are described in more detail (including the rationale for exclusion) in Annex23A: Ecosystem Services Screened Out of the Impact Assessment.

(1) Landsberg, F., S. Ozment, M. Stickler, N. Henninger, J. Treweek, O. Venn, and G. Mock. 2011. Ecosystem Services Review for Impact Assessment: Introduction and Guide to Scoping. WRI Working Paper. World Resources Institute, Washington DC.


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Table 23.1 Preliminary Screening Assessment

Category of Service

Service Examples Drivers of Change Associated with the Mine

Include in Impact Assessment

Potential Impacts: Moderate or Higher

Provisioning Food: Bushmeat

Wild game hunted for food and sale.

Occupation of land

Disturbance to habitats and species

Demographic and economic change

Y

Provisioning Food: crop cultivation

Agriculture is the primary livelihood activity practised by over 90 % of households in the mine area.

Occupation of land

Impacts on surface water quality and quantity


Y

Provisioning Food: Livestock cultivation

Poultry (58%), cattle (27%), goats (8%) and sheep (6%).

Occupation of land



Y

Provisioning Food: wild caught fish

Inland fishing in rivers, wetlands and bas fonds.




Y

Provisioning Water Supply: domestic, agricultural, construction use

Water use for consumption, bathing, irrigation and brick making.



Y

Provisioning Fibre: Timber

Timber species used for construction or trade.

Occupation of land


Y

Provisioning Non-timber forest products

Raffia palm, bamboo and straw used as construction, roofing materials. Raffia wine.

Occupation of land


Y

Provisioning Fuel: Firewood and charcoal

Wood and plant matter for charcoal, fuel.

Occupation of land


Y

Provisioning Natural Medicine

Wild plants used for medicinal purposes.

Occupation of land


Y

Cultural Spiritual or religious value

Cult forests, ritual sites and spirit dwellings are often associated with rivers, trees and natural features.

Occupation of land


Access to religious sites

Y

Cultural Traditional practices

Cultural value placed on traditional practices such as hunting, fishing, crafts and use of natural resources.

Occupation of land



Y


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Category of Service

Service Examples Drivers of Change Associated with the Mine

Include in Impact Assessment

Cultural Aesthetic value

Cultural value placed on landscapes and landmarks in the area.

Occupation of land


Y

Cultural Existence value

Species and areas valued globally as of high conservation value or concern. Benefits primarily accrue nationally & globally.

Occupation of land




Y

Regulating Erosion regulation

Forest and riparian habitats regulate erosion and sediment delivery to streams and are particularly important on steep slopes where erosion potential is high.

Occupation of land


Y

Regulating Surface water and groundwater regulation

Role played by the Simandou ridge in groundwater recharge and regulation of the volume and residence time of surface water flows.

Occupation of land


Y

Regulating Natural hazard regulation: fire

Regulation of fire frequency and intensity through presence of vegetative fire breaks.

Occupation of land



Y

Regulating Disease regulation

The role habitats play in providing breeding grounds for mosquitos and other sources of vector borne disease; and of providing natural protection against the spread of disease.

Occupation of land


Y

Ecosystem services for which potential impacts are predicted to be minor or not significant are discussed in more detail in Annex 23A: Ecosystem Services Screened Out of the Impact Assessment, including the rational for screening them out of the assessment. Services with minor impacts include: wild plants and honey (provisioning service); natural oils (provisioning service); ornamental resources (provisioning service); and climate regulation: regional and local climate (regulating service). Services with no significant impacts expected or that are excluded to avoid double-counting include (1): food: aquaculture (provisioning service); air quality regulation by vegetated areas (regulating service);

(1) Supporting services are not included in the impact assessment because they are intermediate ecological outcomes that are captured elsewhere in the provisioning, regulating, and cultural services that they support. For example, changes to primary production are captured in the effects on food resources and non-use services of biodiversity.


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water purification (regulating service); pest regulation (regulating service); pollination (regulating service); climate regulation: global (regulating service) (1); soil formation (supporting service); primary production (supporting service); nutrient cycling (supporting service); and landscape disturbance regime (supporting service). 23.2.4 Baseline Methodology The ecosystem services baseline draws upon information from a number of other chapters in the SEIA as well as a range of studies and data sources for the mine study area. Ecosystem services were identified and prioritised through a combination of secondary information, in-field environmental, physical and social data collection and stakeholder engagement (see Section 23.3.1). Where information on a service was not sufficiently detailed or current to make a complete analysis of the service’s value, expert judgement has been used to make an initial assessment; in some cases, services have been identified for which additional data collection is required to refine the assessment. This type of assessment is, by its nature, qualitative and the assumptions made on the importance and sensitivity of ecosystem services within the area of influence will continue to develop and be refined through the life of the mine project. A first round of data collection and stakeholder engagement specifically aimed at ecosystem services was undertaken in 2010 as part of the preparatory fieldwork leading to development of the Pic de Fon Management Plan. Field studies undertaken as part of this process included participatory rural appraisals, key informant interviews, market studies and field visits to 14 villages in the area of the mine. Data collection focused on ecosystem services including agricultural outputs, water use, non-timber forest products and cultural sites in and around the Pic de Fon Classified Forest (CF) and neighbouring village territories. In addition, detailed multi-year meteorological, hydrological and erosion studies have fed into the analysis of regulating services; these studies are cited and drawn from in the relevant topic area chapters of the SEIA. Further environmental and social data collection as well as stakeholder engagement was undertaken as part of the SEIA baseline fieldwork in 2010 and 2011. On-going stakeholder engagement will be used to refine the Project’s understanding of ecosystem services. As outlined in more detail in Section 22.6.1, the Project will undertake a combination of socio-economic surveys, in-migration studies and stakeholder engagement as part of the development of Social Management Plans. Detailed information on the use and value of ecosystem services at the local level will continue to be collected as needed along with other socioeconomic data in order to improve understanding of the value of ecosystem services at the village level and to refine the mitigation measures identified in this report. The baseline provides an analysis of two aspects of ecosystem services in the mine study area. These include: (a) importance of the service to beneficiaries and (b) replaceability by spatial alternatives. These are explained below and shown in Table 23.2. a) Importance of ecosystem services to beneficiaries, is assessed according to the following criteria and

assigned a rating from low - essential: i. intensity of use – eg daily, weekly or seasonal use of a provisioning service; number of downstream

villages reliant on erosion or flood control services;

ii. scope of use - eg household level vs village level; subsistence use, trade, or both;

(1) Although losses in carbon sequestration as a result of occupation of land are expected to be very small, these are included in the assessment of GHG emissions arising from the mine in Chapter 10: Greenhouse Gas Assessment.


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iii. geographic proximity (where possible) (1); and iv. degree of dependence: eg contribution of fish or bushmeat to total protein in the diet.

b) Replaceability of ecosystem services is assessed according to the following criteria and assigned a

rating from low – high (2):

i. the existence of spatial alternatives (other sites where the same ecosystem service is also provided and that are close enough to be utilised by affected communities); and

ii. the sustainability of spatial alternatives given the potential for increased resource use, including a consideration of other users and the existing status and threats to the resource.

A rating of low replaceability indicates that there are no or few spatial alternatives, whereas a rating of high replaceability indicates that many alternatives are available in the area. The findings on the importance and replaceability of services are used to place a value rating on ecosystem services. This rating will be used in the prioritisation of ecosystem services in Section 23.3.2.2 and in the impact assessment, as described in the following sections. In addition, information collected for the baseline analysis may contribute to an assessment of whether current utilisation of a service, for example, bushmeat is unsustainable, meaning that it should not be treated as a priority ecosystem service (ie substitution of alternative sources of protein and alternative livelihoods may be preferable to maintaining the current value of the service). This is discussed in more detail in the following section. 23.2.4.1 Ecosystem Services Prioritisation Undertaking a prioritisation process is an important component of the ecosystem services assessment and is required to meet IFC standards regarding impacts and mitigation measures for ecosystem services (3). In the case of the Simandou Mine, the first step in the prioritisation process has been to scope out ecosystem services according to the potential significance of impacts by the mine. This rating will be used in the prioritisation of ecosystem services in Section 23.3.2.2 this step has been undertaken in the preliminary screening exercise in Section 23.2.3. The second step in the prioritisation process is undertaken as part of the baseline analysis. Through the analysis of baseline data and stakeholder feedback on ecosystem services, each service is assigned a value rating reflecting the importance to beneficiaries and availability of alternatives (replaceability) of the service (Table 23.2) (4). Ecosystem services of high – critical value that are expected to be impacted by the proposed mine are considered ‘priority’ ecosystem services. For these services, the Project will design mitigation measures to maintain or restore the value and functionality of the service. Ecosystem services of medium value are still considered of relevance to beneficiaries and are included in the impact assessment in less detail. Ecosystem services of low value to beneficiaries are scoped out of the assessment.

(1) As part of the consideration of geographic proximity, the assessment places a premium on services that benefit local communities. National and global beneficiaries are an intrinsic part of an ecosystem services assessment and are included where relevant; however, all things being equal, a service benefitting local communities will be given a higher importance rating than one only benefitting national or global stakeholders. (2) Replaceability does not refer to the replacement of a particular ecosystem service with a different but comparable service (eg the replacement of bushmeat with other protein sources such as livestock) or the replacement of a natural service with a man-made substitute. These are defined as ‘substitutes’ in the context of this assessment and are instead considered in the mitigation section. (3) IFC PS-6 requires the following: “With respect to impacts on priority ecosystem services of relevance to Affected Communities and where the client has direct management control or significant influence over such ecosystem services, adverse impacts should be avoided. If these impacts are unavoidable, the client will minimize them and implement mitigation measures that aim to maintain the value and functionality of priority services.” (4) As part of the development of the Pic de Fon Management Plan and biodiversity strategies for the Project, Stakeholder engagement, including focus groups and questionnaires, was utilised to assess the use and importance of ecosystem services in the mine area.


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Table 23.2 Assessing the Value of Ecosystem Services

Replaceability / Resilience of Service

High

(many spatial alternatives)

Moderate

(some spatial alternatives)

Low

(few to no spatial alternatives)

Imp

ort

ance

of

serv

ice

to

ben

efic

iari

es Low Low Low Medium

Moderate Low Medium High

High Medium High Critical

Essential High Critical Critical

The value of ecosystem services as determined through the prioritisation process in the baseline is also carried over into the value ratings assigned to ecosystem service receptors for the impact assessment, as discussed in Section 23.2.5. At the end of the prioritisation process, a final sustainability filter is applied to the services rated high – critical value. Sustainable use is defined as maintaining the biological, ecological and socioeconomic sustainability of the resource underlying a particular ecosystem service. These conditions are defined as follows (1). Biological sustainability indicates that harvested populations or resources (eg freshwater) should not

show a consistent decline in numbers / quantity.

Ecological sustainability indicates that harvested populations or resources should not be reduced to densities whereby they no longer fulfill their ecological role.

Socioeconomic sustainability indicates that harvested populations or resources should not be reduced to

densities where they cease to be a significant resource for human users.

If use of an ecosystem service is determined to be unsustainable in the mine study area, the service will not be considered a priority ecosystem service. If the service is of medium to critical value to beneficiaries, impacts and mitigation relating to this service will still be assessed, but with the goal of providing alternatives (either man-made or natural) and / or managing use of the service to sustainable levels, rather than maintaining the value and functionality of the service at current levels of use. 23.2.5 Impact Assessment Approach and Methods The assessment of ecosystem services impacts has followed the overall impact assessment methodology described in Chapter 1: Introduction. These steps include: assigning the sensitivity / value of a receptor; prediction of the magnitude of impacts; evaluation of their significance; development of mitigation measures; and assessment of residual impact. The significance of the impact is assessed according to the value / sensitivity of the receptor and the magnitude of the impact. In the case of ecosystem services, the baseline analysis has produced a list of priority ecosystem services for which the mine must design mitigation measures that aim to maintain or restore the value and functionality of the service for beneficiaries. Compensation or replacement services are provided in the interim or where full restoration is not possible (eg some landscape or cultural impacts). For non-priority ecosystem services that are nonetheless adversely impacted by the project, standard mitigation measures are proposed that are designed to avoid, or where this is not possible, reduce or compensate for the impact.

(1) Bennett, E. 2008. Hunting and Trade of Bushmeat in Central Africa: A Review of Conservation, Livelihood and Policy Implications. Report to the World Bank prepared by the Wildlife Conservation Society.


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23.2.5.1 Value The allocation of a value rating to an ecosystem service takes into account the specific criteria detailed under the prioritisation process above. This avoids assigning more than one value rating over the course of the ecosystem services assessment and helps to streamline the assessment approach. As described in Section 23.2.4, the value rating for a service is based on an assessment of the importance of the service to beneficiaries, the availability of sustainable alternatives and the resilience of the underlying habitats and species providing the service; the same matrix and ratings assigned in Section 23.2.4.1 are applied here. 23.2.5.2 Magnitude The impact assessment describes what will happen to the environment and communities by predicting the magnitude of impacts and quantifying this to the extent practicable. The term magnitude is used here to encompass various possible dimensions of the predicted impact including: the nature of the consequence (how resources and / or receptors are affected); the size, scale or intensity of the effect; geographical extent and distribution; temporal extent (duration, frequency, reversibility); and where relevant, the probability of the impact occurring as a result of non-routine events. The impact assessment also identifies where there is uncertainty about the occurrence or scale of the impact. In the case of ecosystem services, the receptor is the service itself, as provided by the underlying ecosystem. However, because the ultimate beneficiaries are the human users of this service, the assessment takes into consideration both the magnitude of an impact on an ecosystem service and the resulting magnitude of impact on the human beneficiaries of that service. Magnitude is classified as follows: Negligible: Within the normal range of natural variation;

Small: The impact results in a small reduction in the availability or functionality of the ecosystem service

and / or has implications for a small number of people relative to the population within the area of influence. There is a perceptible difference from baseline conditions;

Medium: The impact results in a moderate reduction in the availability or functionality of the ecosystem service and / or has implications for a substantial number of people relative to the population within the area of influence. Does not threaten the long term viability of the service; and

Large: The impact results in the loss of all or a significant proportion of the availability or functionality of an ecosystem service and / or has implications for the majority of people within the area of influence. The long term viability of the service is threatened.

23.2.5.3 Evaluating Significance The significance of the impact is determined by cross referencing the magnitude of an impact with the value of the receptor and is categorised as not significant, minor, moderate, major or critical. Table 23.3 provides a matrix that shows how significance is determined as a function of magnitude and sensitivity. This evaluation differs slightly from other chapters of the assessment due to the wider range of values for ecosystem services. When assessing a combination of direct and indirect impacts on an ecosystem service, the highest magnitude rating is used to assess overall significance of impacts for each mine project phase.


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Table 23.2 Evaluating Significance of Impacts on Ecosystem Services

Value of Receptor Magnitude of Impact

Negligible Small Medium Large

The impact is within the normal range of variation.

The impact results in a small reduction in the availability or functionality of the ecosystem service and / or has implications for a small number of people relative to the population within the area of influence.

The impact results in a moderate reduction in the availability or functionality of the ecosystem service and / or has implications for a substantial number of people relative to the population within the area of influence. Does not threaten the long-term viability of the service.

The impact results in the loss of all or a significant proportion of the availability or functionality of an ecosystem service and / or has implications for the majority of people within the area of influence. The long-term viability of the service is threatened.

Negligible The ecosystem service is of negligible importance to beneficiaries

Not Significant Not Significant Not Significant Not Significant

Low The ecosystem service is of low importance to beneficiaries (local, regional and global) or is of moderate importance but with many spatial alternatives available

Not Significant Not Significant Minor Moderate

Medium The ecosystem service has moderate importance to beneficiaries and moderate replaceability (some spatial alternatives), high importance to beneficiaries and many spatial alternatives, or low importance and few to no spatial alternatives

Not Significant Minor Moderate Major

High The ecosystem service is of high importance to beneficiaries and has moderate replaceability (some spatial alternatives); is of moderate importance to beneficiaries and has few or no spatial alternatives; or is essential to beneficiaries but has many spatial alternatives

Not Significant Moderate Major Critical

Critical The ecosystem service is of high importance to beneficiaries and has few to no spatial alternatives; or the service is of high to essential importance and has moderate to low replaceability

Not Significant Major Critical Critical


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23.3 Baseline 23.3.1 Data Collection and Sources The ecosystem services chapter integrates relevant baseline information from other chapters and draws upon a number of studies and reports that have been organised and commissioned in recent years. In particular, the following resources have provided a significant amount of information for the SEIA. Bennett, E. (2008). Hunting and Trade of Bushmeat in Central Africa: A Review of Conservation,

Livelihood and Policy Implications. Report to the World Bank prepared by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Centre Forestier N’Zérékoré, Republic of Guinea (2010). Pic de Fon Classified Forest Development and

Management Plan 2010–2030.

Diallo, M.S. (2005). Étude socio-économique de la forêt classée du Pic de Fon. Projet Élargi de Gestion des Ressources Naturelles (PEGRN), Centre Forestier de N’Zérékoré –VITA – Land O’Lakes– ACA– PRIDE /Guinée, USAID-DNEF.

Camara, W & Kouyate, S. (2008). Rapport d’enquêtes socio-économiques – Usages et usagers des ressources de la Forêt classée du Pic de Fon. Direction Générale du Centre Forestier de N’Zérékoré, Guinée.

Centre Forestier de N’Zérékoré (2007). Étude socio-économique des villages riverains des forêts

classées de Banan, Yonon et Pic de Fon. Rapport provisoire réalisé par la Division Relations Riveraines. Projet de Gestion des Ressources Forestières (PGRF). 58 p.

SNC Lavalin Environment (August 2010). Social and Environmental Baseline Study (Mine Component): Volume B – Social Baseline.

23.3.2 Baseline The tables in the following section provide an overview of the ecosystem services identified through the earlier screening exercise as potentially impacted by the mine. Each ecosystem service is assessed for the importance of the service to beneficiaries and the availability of spatial alternatives. Services that have been screened out through the preliminary screening exercise are described in more detail in Annex 23A: Ecosystem Services Screened Out of the Impact Assessment. In the case of a number of provisioning and regulating services identified for the mine, additional stakeholder engagement is needed to confirm use of the service at the village level, as well as the importance and replaceability of given services. Planned stakeholder engagement efforts mentioned in the tables below will be undertaken as part of the PARC Process and development of Social Management Plans (see Section 23.6.1.2). The analysis of ecosystem services uses the descriptions of habitat categories and water catchments as defined in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land Based Livelihoods and Chapter 6: Water Environment in order to provide an assessment of impacts on human beneficiaries of the ecosystem services associated with different habitats. Forest (includes Closed Evergreen Lowland / Gallery / Submontane Forest and Areas of Plantation):

Areas consisting of unbroken forest canopy primarily in their natural state. Forest areas are a source of provisioning services such as collection of firewood and charcoal, construction timber, non-timber forest products such as natural medicines and oils and fruit, and hunting for bush meat. Forests may also be established or preserved by communities as a wind break to protect settlements from seasonal Harmattan winds, and to act as a barrier against bushfires if necessary. Accessible forest lands, mainly on the lower slopes and in the lower-lying areas, are used for cultivating cash crops such as palm, rice, raffia wine, coffee and cacao.


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Woodland, wooded grassland and open grassland (referred to as Savanna in the social chapters):

This habitat is used by local populations for multiple purposes including pasture (seasonal), ’slash and burn’ agriculture, and harvesting of firewood and non-timber forest products. The uses of savanna change over time according to the needs of the local population. Savanna land is well suited to grazing, which serves as a secondary livelihood for some households alongside cultivation. Cattle herds stop or transit through the savanna region, led by herdsmen. Soil quality influences the value of different areas of savanna with ‘wooded savanna’ often subjected to clearing for agricultural use (particularly in close vicinity to settlements). These areas have high susceptibility to bushfires due to drier conditions and repetition of the ‘slash and burn’ process.

Submontane Grassland: Located on top of the ridge, these areas are sometimes used for low levels of grazing and occasionally subjected to ‘slash and burn’ processes to rejuvenate growth of vegetation. Submontane grassland in the study area is predominantly within the Pic de Fon Classified Forest and is intended to be protected from most uses. Grazing in much of the area is illegal.

Agricultural land: This category includes bas fonds, agricultural plains, hillside agricultural areas and palm groves. The importance and use of different types of agricultural land is discussed in more detail under Cultivated Crops in the baseline tables that follow.

Freshwater resources: This category includes groundwater, rivers, lakes and streams. A detailed map of freshwater resources in the mine area is provided in Chapter 6: Water Environment.


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Table 23.3 Provisioning Services in the Mine Area of Influence

Service Description Additional Information (including status, threats and availability of alternatives to the service)

Relevant Habitats

Importance to Beneficiaries

Replaceability

Food: Bushmeat

Subsistence bushmeat hunting in rural areas is an important source of affordable protein and the localised bushmeat trade is a source of income for some households. The cost of farmed meat is extremely high and wild meat is considered more desirable. Hunting for bushmeat is also conducted at a commercial scale for local and regional markets.

In the village territories surveyed, 85% of the meat eaten per week comes from wild animals and 15% from domestic animals (1). Villagers have reported hunting a number of wildlife species for food. The most commonly sold animals according to a 2010 market study included Warthog (3 894 kg), Cane rat (2 096 kg), Red River Hog (1 680 kgs), Buffalo (1 650 kg) and Baboon (1 469 kg) (2).

The Hunting Confederation has declared a moratorium on hunting inside the Pic de Fon Classified Forest (CF), potentially putting additional pressure on surrounding forest habitat. Illegal hunting is ongoing within and outside the Classified Forest but is believed to have declined within the CF following implementation of the moratorium. Unsustainable resource use is discussed further at the end of this section.

Ongoing degradation of forest habitat near villages also threatens targeted species. While livestock herding could serve as a substitute for some of the protein provided by bushmeat, there are not considered to be other natural alternatives to wild meat in the area; replaceability is therefore rated Low.

Field studies undertaken by the Project in 2011 indicate that three of 32 identified bushmeat species are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: West African Chimpanzee (IUCN EN), Sooty Mangabey (IUCN NT) and genet (IUCN NT).

Not all hunting in the area is necessarily unsustainable. Some species of rodents, ungulates, small mammals and some birds and reptiles may be more abundant and could potentially be hunted at sustainable levels. This will need to be assessed in more detail through field studies and consultation with local stakeholders.

forest

wooded

grassland

High Low

Food: Agriculture is the primary livelihood activity practised by over Many households farm plots of land as far as several agricultural Essential Moderate

(1) Socioeconomic field studies supporting preparation of the Pic de Fon Management Plan (2010). (2) Bushmeat field study, 2011


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

crop cultivation

90 percent of households in the mine area. Rice is the primary crop grown by most households in local villages followed by cassava, potatoes, groundnuts and corn; women also cultivate small vegetable gardens. Coffee, fruit, oil palm and cocoa plantations are present within the Classified Forest but no new plantations are permitted. Farming is primarily a subsistence activity, providing food for household consumption and limited surplus sold for small income. It is not practised on a commercial scale in the mine area.

There are four primary types of agricultural land in the study area: lowlands, uplands, plains and plantations.

Lowlands (‘bas fonds’) are highly valued by local farmers. They constitute favourable places for intensive permanent cultivation where double cropping is sometimes possible and yields are higher than other agricultural areas (for example on slopes). Lowland agricultural areas comprise 4.4% of the total mine project area.

Uplands or hillside land (coteaux) constitute 7.7% of the mine project area. Most hill plots are cultivated with upland rice, other cereals (millet, fonio, sorghum) and groundnuts. Due to the requirement for extensive periods of regeneration and comparatively short periods of cultivation these areas comprise approx. 80% fallow land and 20% cultivated land at any one time (2006 data).

The agricultural plains are an extended area located on both sides of the river, but constitute only 2.4% of the mine project area. The main crop is a species of rice adapted to the plains. In villages such as Goékoro, Banankoro, Nionsomoridou, Moribadou and Mafindou, 15-25% of households farm on agricultural plains. The large extent of the agricultural plains enables a large quantity of produce to be grown. For the Malinké, agricultural plains are valued as highly as lowland plots.

Natural palm groves, exploited by local populations for palm oil and palm seeds, and plantations, including coffee

kilometres from the village, indicating that cultivatable land within this distance can be considered accessible.

A good amount of cultivatable land is believed to be available in the mine area. However, the availability and viability of unoccupied land as replacement farmland needs to be confirmed through further stakeholder consultation. In addition, available land may be of lower quality than existing farmland and would require additional inputs to reach equivalent productivity. Replaceability of cultivated land is therefore considered to be moderate on average for the mine area.

Generally speaking, yields in the mine study area are relatively low for a variety of reasons and could potentially be increased through support programmes.

land

woodland


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

and cacao, are located across the study area and often lie within areas of forest. Plantations are rare in the mine project area, occupying approximately 1% of the area.

Food: Livestock cultivation

Traditional livestock farming practised in villages bordering the Pic de Fon Classified Forest is varied, including small ruminants (goats and sheep), poultry (chicken) and some cattle. Some cattle grazing also takes place in savanna areas of the classified forest under agreement with the CFZ (1).

In the mine project area, households have on average 4.1 cattle (4.7 in the villages east of Pic de Fon), 0.9 sheep and 1.2 goats (0.6 goats in the villages east of Pic de Fon). However, there are significant variations across the villages. Chapter 15: Socio-Economic and Community Baseline provides a detailed account of livestock owned by villages in the mine study area.

People breed and raise livestock within different land use categories. Pastures are seasonal, taking advantage of fallow lands or occupying areas of grassland, wooded savanna and woodland; permanent pastures are very rare. Due to the nature of livestock activities, however, it is difficult to estimate the actual areas occupied by pastures.

Transhumant livestock herding (cattle) also takes place in the mine area of influence. In addition, traditional herders are beginning to settle in the area for extended periods. There are several hamlets between villages of Korela and Traoréla; many cattle paths and tracks converge towards these areas. Other villages typically associated with pastoralism are Wataférédou II, Baladou, Foma and Kéoulendou.

Overgrazing of grassland close to the towns of Wataférédou and Moribadou has been noted, potentially due to the speed of population growth. In general there is sufficient good quality land available for grazing in the area and, feeding cattle is not a factor limiting growth. Replaceability is therefore rated Moderate for the mine study area as a whole, but may vary at the village level.

Submontane grassland on top of the Simandou ridge is used occasionally as pasture land for cattle grazing but because it falls within the boundary of the Pic de Fon Classified Forest, grazing is prohibited in the Fully Protected Area and only allowed at no more than 15 head of cattle per ha in the Production Area. Illegal grazing is identified as an ongoing problem, particularly the grazing of zebu cattle, which are explicitly prohibited in all areas of the Classified Forest.

Information on value and replaceability will be gathered at the village level as needed through stakeholder engagement and data collection as part of the development and implementation of Social Management Plans (see Section 23.6.1.2).

forest

submontane grassland

wooded grassland

High Moderate [1]

(1) Centre Forestier N’Zérékoré, Republic of Guinea. (2010) Pic de Fon Classified Forest Development and Management Plan 2010–2030


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

Livestock rearing is a secondary source of income for most households near the mine area.

Food: freshwater fish

Inland fishing is an important subsistence activity for villagers although it is marginal in terms of income-generation in most parts of the mine area. According to baseline studies carp, shrimp and catfish are the main catches of 59% of the households surveyed in the village territories. Of the fish caught, 77% is eaten at home, while 23% is sold. There are no professional fishermen in the mine area.

Fish are consumed fresh or are smoked. Fishing is generally an activity carried out by women and mostly during the dry season after the harvest is finished.

Rivers, wetlands and bas fonds are used for fishing activities.

The primary fish species utilised by local communities are known to be fairly resilient and are not currently threatened.

The availability and health of fish is also closely linked to surface water quality and quantity in the study area. At the time of writing, freshwater fish did not appear to be declining as a result of water quality and rivers and springs in the area were in good condition other than directly downstream of villages (see water resources, below). Targeted fish species in the area, such as tilapia and crayfish, are known for their ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions.

It has not been confirmed whether the freshwater fishery is being overexploited but fishing is believed to be sustainable at this time. Due to uncertainty around fish populations and level of fishing pressure, replaceability is rated moderate for the area as a whole. More information will be gathered on fishing through stakeholder engagement and data collection as part of the development of Social Management Plans (see Section 23.6.1.2).

surface water

agricultural land (rice fields)

Moderate Moderate [1]

Fibre: Timber

There is no commercial logging in the Pic de Fon CF or surrounding forests, but timber is an important resource for the construction of houses and furniture in villages close to the Pic de Fon CF; 17 timber species are used for construction or to trade. Villages engaged in the timber trade include: Dandano, Nawéssou, Banko, Koreli, Touréla, Baladou, Foma and recently Moribadou (1).

Some valuable timber resources are rare or endangered species such as Tieghemella heckelli (Cherry Mahogany).

The harvesting of wood for rural construction will be authorised in the production area of the Pic de Fon CF and in the mining area solely on the basis of

forest High High

(1) Centre Forestier N’Zérékoré, Republic of Guinea. (2010) Pic de Fon Classified Forest Development and Management Plan 2010–2030.


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

meeting household needs. Certain regulations will applyTimber resources are believed to be sufficient to meet community needs at this time, therefore replaceability is rated high. Further information on timber use and replaceability will be gathered at the village level as needed through stakeholder engagement and data collection as part of the implementation of Social Management Plans (see Section 23.6.1.2).

Fibre: non- timber forest products

Raffia (fibres of buds and stalks) is used in all villages surveyed. The leaf petioles are similar to bamboo and are used to build dwellings and storehouses. Every household uses an average of 375 leaves for this purpose, replacing them every year. In total, over 400 000 leaves are cut and used by the 1 256 households (1). Raffia is also used by women to weave baskets and other items for sale and can be an important source of cash income in some households (2). Raffia wine is produced by villagers for their own consumption (15%), but mainly to sell in local markets (85%) (3).

Wine production is not a primary income for many households interviewed in baseline studies, but the wine appears to be harvested and sold on a large scale in the village of Dandano. It is also sold locally in the villages of Silafarala, Naweissou, Banko, Mandou, Traoréla, Moribadou, and Balladou Foom (4).

Bamboo and lianas (woody vines) are also used for house construction and sheaves of straw are collected for thatch roofs, which are replaced every five years. A significant

Most NTFPs are abundant and relatively fast-growing and harvesting rates are believed to be sustainable. However, there are signs that Raphia vinifera is being overharvested both within the Pic de Fon Classified Forest and in the village territories in the mine area (4). Increased demand and / or decreasing supply are evident in local markets: The price of raffia wine increased from 500 GNF in 2000 to 2 000 GNF in 2007 (4). Over harvesting of raffia in Moribadou and Traoréla has been connected to the influx of workers seeking jobs on the Simandou project.

Due to the fast-growing nature and relative abundance of most NTFPs, the service is assessed to be moderately replaceable overall; however replaceability of raffia is rated low. More information will be collected to determine the abundance and availability of alternatives for NTFPs at the village level through the PARC process and development of Social Management Plans.

forest

woodland

wooded grassland

High Moderate [1] Low (raffia)

(1) Centre Forestier N’Zérékoré, Republic of Guinea (2010). Pic de Fon Classified Forest Development and Management Plan 2010–2030. (2) Diallo, M.S. (2005). Étude socio-économique de la forêt classée du Pic de Fon. Projet Élargi de Gestion des Ressources Naturelles (PEGRN), Centre Forestier de N’Zérékoré –VITA – Land O’Lakes– ACA– PRIDE /Guinée, USAID-DNEF. (3) Socioeconomic baseline studies 2010. (4) Centre Forestier N’Zérékoré, Republic of Guinea (2010). Pic de Fon Classified Forest Development and Management Plan 2010–2030.


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

proportion of bamboo (49%) and lianas (74%) and most straw is harvested within the Pic de Fon CF rather than in the wider village territories (1). However, sufficient spatial alternatives exist in the area.

The small rattan palm, Eremospatha macrocarpa, and medium rattan, Calamus deerratus are used to make belts for climbing palm trees and in basketry in Banko, Dandano, Naweinzou and Touréla. Most rattan related activities take place in the village of Dandano where people make and sell baskets, climbing belts and household furniture.

Fuel: Firewood and charcoal

Local communities use fuel wood and charcoal for domestic and economic purposes. Fuel wood supplies about 77% of household energy needs and charcoal another 3% (2) (3).

There are 8 main tree species used for firewood these are: Albizia zygia, Detarium senegalense, Harungana madagascariensis, Holarrhena febrifuga,Macaranga spp Myrianthus arboreus, Uapaca somon and Xylopia aethiopica (4).

The most common use of charcoal is in forges to manufacture farm equipment (5).

Villagers travel various distances to obtain fuelwood with ranges of 0.5 to 5 km recorded in survey work at the mine.

Forest areas in the immediate vicinity of villages have suffered from degradation in recent years, meaning that people may have to travel further to access these resources. The harvesting of fuelwood will be authorised in the production area of the Pic de Fon CF and in the mining area solely on the basis of meeting household needs. Certain regulations will apply.

There are few alternative sources of energy in the study area at the current time. In the town of Beyla, 19% of households have access to electricity. The only available source of electricity in the rural villages is by means of privately-owned generators, which are rare.

forest

woodland

Essential Moderate [1]

(1) Socioeconomic field studies supporting preparation of the Pic de Fon Management Plan (2010). (2) Diallo, M.S. (2005). Étude socio-économique de la forêt classée du Pic de Fon. Projet Élargi de Gestion des Ressources Naturelles (PEGRN), Centre Forestier de N’Zérékoré –VITA – Land O’Lakes– ACA– PRIDE /Guinée, USAID-DNEF. (3) Centre Forestier de N’Zérékoré (2007). Étude socio-économique des villages riverains des forêts classées de Banan, Yonon et Pic de Fon. Rapport provisoire réalisé par la Division Relations Riveraines. Projet de Gestion des Ressources Forestières (PGRF). 58 p. (4) Socioeconomic field studies supporting preparation of the Pic de Fon Management Plan (2010). (5) Camara, W. & Kouyate, S. (2008). Rapport d’enquêtes socio-économiques – Usages et usagers des ressources de la Forêt classée du Pic de Fon. Direction Générale du Centre Forestier de N’Zérékoré, Guinée.


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

Most fuelwood used by local communities is collected outside of the Pic de Fon CF: 18% comes from the classified forest and 82% from the wider village territories (3).

Given the lack of alternative energy sources and some signs of increasing scarcity in the area, replaceability of fuelwood is rated moderate in the area as a whole. This is likely to vary somewhat at the village level and will be assessed further through planned stakeholder engagement and data collection.

Natural Medicines

Plant species used for traditional medicine are distributed throughout village lands both inside and outside the Pic de Fon CF. According to the socio-economic survey conducted in the Pic de Fon CF by Camara and Kouyaté (2008) and Diallo (2010), 36 species are used by local communities for natural medicine. Local healers interviewed during the survey said they travelled an average of 1.3 km in search of natural medicines (1). Most collection of medicinal plants takes place outside the Pic de Fon Classified Forest.

Given the low income of the local populations and the high cost of drugs on sale in the markets, traditional medicine is an important resource for many people in the area. It also remains an important custom in the study area.

Gathering plants for use in traditional medicine is generally a sustainable use of the resource. Harvesting for monetary purposes is not common and pressure on medicinal resources is believed to be minimal at this time.

There are believed to be sufficient spatial alternatives to maintain current levels of use under changing conditions, within reason. Replaceability of medicinal plants is therefore rated moderate for the mine area as a whole; however this may vary at the village level. Additional stakeholder engagement and data collection will be undertaken to confirm use and availability of natural medicines at the village level as part of the PARC process and development of social management plans.

forest

woodland

High Moderate [1]

Water Supply:

Domestic water use: Villages in the mine area use river water for drinking and for other domestic purposes (laundry washing, hygiene, cooking). Annex 6A: Surface Water presents a summary of the results of the surface water use survey that was conducted for villages in the immediate proximity of the mine, including the types of water use and flow conditions at the time of the survey

Villages living in hillside catchments have varying degrees of

Studies indicate that the volumes of water abstracted for household use are small relative to total daily flow in local rivers.

As described in Chapter 6: Water Environment , the baseline surface water quality is generally good, with occasional highly elevated Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and turbidity levels due to high rainfall intensities, relatively erodible soils and steep terrain.

surface water and groundwater


(1) Socioeconomic field studies supporting preparation of the Pic de Fon Management Plan (2010).


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

reliance on surface water; some villages have a number of wells in addition to access to a stream, while others depend solely on a single stream. Social baseline data indicate that half of the 26 villages in the study area have access to potable groundwater supplies and even in these communities, 30% of households on average abstract water for cooking, drinking or both from surface water sources. Many of the villages that could be impacted by changes in base flow have access to at least one alternative river or groundwater resource.

The main alternative to surface water is use of groundwater through boreholes and traditional wells. However, many existing boreholes are defective or inoperative. Well water is of variable quality and often is used only for washing.

Water quality and quantity are critical to human health and wellbeing, and are basic requirements for human life. Water quality in particular has implications for water-borne illnesses and may influence the health and availability of fish for human consumption. See Chapter 21: Community, Health, Safety and Security for more information.

There are no observed or reported direct uses of groundwater in the area of the ore deposits. However, as the groundwater discharge from the mine aquifer feeds a number of the major streams the indirect use of the groundwater is inseparable from the surface water uses.

Iron and trace element concentrations were below the WHO limits for springs and streams sampled in the mine area. However, water quality sampling near village drinking water points found high faecal coliform readings; high incidence of diarrhoea and other waterborne illnesses have been reported at all of the villages surveyed in the mine area.

Additionally, some of the communities consulted in 2008 reported problems with high turbidity levels (reported as red water) perceived to be as a result of earlier drilling operations for the project. In order to distinguish between ‘natural’ and ‘disturbed’ baseline conditions, automatic and spot sampling TSS data have been collected since early 2009. The results indicate that, whilst there is significant variability in both cases, the TSS in the surface waters from disturbed catchments is higher. Nevertheless, the baseline levels in both undisturbed cases are still frequently higher than the IFC maximum guideline value for TSS (50 mg/l for 95% of the time) in effluent discharged from any mining site.

Where river water is used for irrigation, the quantity of water used for agriculture is several orders of magnitude larger than for domestic and construction use. According to baseline studies, irrigation demand is estimated to range from 5% to 68% of May flow in a dry year, varying considerably by river and by village. Nevertheless, rainwater remains the most common source of water for agriculture in most villages. There are no known or identified industrial-scale water abstractions within the immediate vicinity

Construction: Water from the river is used by communities to make bricks to construct housing.

A survey on water use showed that 9% of the water collected in local rivers and carried home was used for construction.

surface water

Moderate Moderate [1]


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

Agricultural water use: Agriculture mainly relies on rainwater. However, lowland rivers running across foot-hill floodplains (“bas fonds”) are used for irrigation, mainly for rice fields and more locally, gardens. River water is also abstracted for livestock watering. Access to sufficient water for agricultural use is an important issue for human health and wellbeing; agriculture is the primary livelihood in the mine area.

Water is used during the process of palm oil extraction in villages such as Dandano, Naouinzou and Banko. (Chapter 15: Socio-Economic and Community Baseline).

of the mine site (ie large scale water users that would compete for resources).

Access to alternatives to surface water (ie access to reliable clean water within 2-3km, for example through wells or alternative rivers or streams) will vary at the village level. This information is captured in the more detailed analysis presented in Chapter 6: Water Environment. Overall, replaceability of freshwater is considered moderate in the mine study area as a whole. However, village level replaceability ratings are applied where appropriate in the assessment that follows.

surface water


Notes: [1] Indicates that the assigned rating reflects the replaceability of the service across the mine area as a whole; however replaceability may be higher or lower on a site-specific basis. Where necessary, this will be confirmed through further stakeholder consultation as part of the development of Social Management Plans. This is discussed in more detail in Section 23.6.1.


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Table 23.4 Cultural Services in the Mine Area of Influence


Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

Living Cultural Heritage (LCH): ritual sites and spirit dwellings

Important ritual and spiritual sites are forests are often located at the sources or headwaters of streams and rivers. Rivers are particularly important sites for male and female rites of passage ceremonies. Spirit dwellings and other LCH sites tend to be identifiable environmental features such as large isolated trees, rock outcrops or springs; sometimes they are small areas of forest or lengths of streams themselves. To date, 88 living cultural heritage sites have been identified in the area around the mine. A full inventory of sites identified to date is provided in Annex 13D: Inventory of Known Cultural Heritage Sites in the Mine Area of Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage. The importance levels of the majority of the sites in the mine area have been determined through stakeholder engagement. Following common heritage management practice, unevaluated sites are presumed to be of high value pending further investigation.

There are de facto no spatial alternatives to any particular cultural site. However, spiritual sites are often related to the existence of a forest spirit or genie. Some of these spirits can be readily moved using sacrifices; others with difficulty; others are entirely immoveable (1). For example, Samakounkaba or Elephant Head Rock (CH-67) is considered to be of medium importance from the input from local stakeholders who have indicated that the rock and its sacred function can be moved.

forests grassland / woodland surface water other (caves, rock outcrops)

Site-Specific

Site-Specific

(1) Socioeconomic field studies supporting preparation of the Pic de Fon Management Plan (2010).


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

Non-use value: existence value of biodiversity

This service refers to the value people globally place on protecting species and habitats considered “iconic” or as otherwise having conservation value. The beneficiaries tend to be global, since the service excludes any physical or religious values and instead encompasses only the non-use value people place on the continued existence of a species. The study area supports a number of species classed as endangered or vulnerable by IUCN, including the West African Chimpanzee, West African Black and King colobus monkey, Ivory Coast Frog and Cherry Mahogany. The ecosystem services chapter emphasises local over global beneficiaries, therefore the importance of the service is rated Moderate. However, biodiversity is treated as its own equally important component of the impact assessment and is examined at length in Chapter 12: Biodiversity.

A full list of critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable species is included in Chapter 12: Biodiversity (or in detailed annexes). A cultural value is placed on these species internationally due to their threatened status. Of these, primate species including chimpanzees are the most immediately recognisable as ‘iconic’ species with a high existence value placed on them globally. By definition, all species on this list are threatened, primarily due to habitat loss and hunting. The concept of replaceability does not apply well to non-use values. Instead, the topic of biodiversity offsetting is discussed in detail in Chapter 12: Biodiversity.

critical habitats as defined in the biodiversity chapter

Moderate N/A

Traditional practices

Cultural value is placed on traditional practices such as hunting and fishing, crafts and use of natural resources. For example, freshly harvested cola nuts from the forests around the proposed mine are used in traditional hospitality rituals practiced on special social occasions and meetings. Mosques are constructed of locally harvested timber, a practice that links a congregation’s religious practice to its local surroundings. Hunting also has a long tradition in Guinea and remains customary throughout the region

A wide range of traditional practices rely on natural resources in the various environmental settings around the area of the mine. In some cases the relationship of the resource to the practice may be integral and in others the relationship be incidental. Not all relationships are well defined yet. Ongoing stakeholder engagement will refine the Project’s understanding of the importance of particular products and resources to beneficiaries.

forests surface water grassland

Practice specific

Not Replaceable


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Relevant Habitats


Replaceability

Aesthetic value

Pic de Fon is the highest peak and the third highest mountain in Guinea. Ouéléba is a distinctive ridgeline and escarpment and is also a clearly visible landform out to 30 km to the west, north and east. Together, these peaks form the Simandou ridge. The importance of the Simandou ridge and the sensitivity of the vantage point was assessed for all communities in a 30 km radius of the mine (Chapter 14: Landscape and Visual Resource). Villages of medium-high sensitivity are described here.

Moribadou has a population of several thousand and provides a trading centre for nearby villages. The Pic de Fon and Ouéléba ridgelines form important landmarks in the background and local people attach considerable cultural importance to the landscape. However, since most of the population migrated to the location since 2005 seeking employment; the perspective on potential landscape changes may therefore be viewed as a sign of progress. The small village of Wataférédou II has a view of the Ouéléba ridgeline in the middleground and Pic de Fon in the background. The people of this village are regarded as custodians of Simandou; therefore the ridge has additional cultural significance in the life of the village. Traoréla and Lamandou villages have a clear view of the Simandou ridge as the highest element in view and at a short distance. Foma also has an unobstructed view of the Pic de Fon in the background.

No alternatives to the service exist at a particular view-point. However, the relative importance of the ridge as a landmark and its replaceability by other of views or landmarks will vary at the village level. Many of the aesthetic components of the landscape can be restored through habitat restoration following closure of the mine; however the exact form of the ridge-line is not replaceable as such.

Simandou ridge and forests

Moderate - High

Site-Specific


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Table 23.5 Regulating Services in the Mine Area of Influence


Relevant Habitats


Replaceability & Resilience

Erosion control

Vegetation cover binds soils and prevents soil loss. Submontane forest and grassland on the Pic de Fon CF steep slopes holds soil in place, thereby preventing landslides. Experimental erosion plots have been used to collect data to allow the calibration of a sediment flux model which will be used to predict the quantities of sediment expected in catchments as a result of altered erosion regimes. Measurements of total suspended solids (TSS) in disturbed and undisturbed catchments suggest lower erosion rates on undisturbed land, suggesting that vegetation plays an important role in reducing erosion (1)

. However, the hard carapace that exists over the orebody also plays a role in binding weaker material on the slopes.

Submontane grassland and submontane forest are found at the highest altitudes, on the steepest slopes and in the zones of highest rainfall: all factors which increase erosion risk.

Other than the proposed mine, no existing threats have been identified for riparian vegetation or submontane grassland in the area. Areas of similar and complementary vegetation are present on slopes and in catchments across the study area.

forest, grassland

High Moderate

Surface and ground water regulation

The Simandou ridge constitutes a prominent groundwater recharge zone in the study area, with groundwater discharge occurring locally as seeps and springs and into streams. Flow derived from groundwater discharge can be as high as 75% of the total stream flow volume. The topography of the ridge also influences the volume and timing of surface water flows.

The Simandou ridge forms the headwaters of many local streams, which feed into four major watersheds (the Diani, Milo, Loffa and Dion). These in turn feed into two major transboundary rivers, the Niger River flowing north and east and the St Paul River flowing south through Liberia.

Other than the proposed mine, no existing threats have been identified for surface and groundwater regulation in the study area.

surface and groundwater

High Low

(1) Baseline Climatology studies for the Simandou Project (2009).


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Relevant Habitats



Natural hazard regulation

Dense primary forest acts as a natural fire break. Communities maintain village forests, in part, as a protective barrier against bushfires. Natural and human induced fires are standard parts of the land management cycle of the area. Changes in land use patterns due to land clearing may increase the frequency and intensity of fires. The Simandou Range constitutes a natural barrier between the trade winds of the south and the harmattan of the northeast. This serves as a natural fire break, but only to a moderate extent.

Seasonal flooding is a part of the natural landscape in the area of the mine, and is essential to maintaining lowland agriculture and water resources in the flood plains fed by waters from the Simandou Ridge. However, there is also some risk of uncontrolled flooding during the wet season. This risk is likely to be mitigated by well-established areas of vegetation along steep slopes and river basins.

There are some spatial alternatives to protective vegetation (eg occurrence of similar vegetation in the immediate area and region). This applies to both flood regulation and fire regulation services. Replaceability is therefore rated moderate.

Forest

Moderate Moderate


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Relevant Habitats



Disease Regulation

The spread of malaria is influenced by a number of environmental factors and characteristics of natural habitats. Other mosquito-borne diseases are considered to be of less concern in the area, although there are ongoing epidemics of yellow fever in northern Côte d’Ivoire which have the potential to spread into Guinea (see Chapter 21: Community Health and Safety).

Standing pools of water, including the bas fonds and flooded areas during the wet season, provide breeding grounds for malarial mosquitos. Deforestation has been linked to changes in mosquito populations, often resulting in their increased abundance. Forest clearance favours heliophelic species such as Anopheles gambiae, the main vector of malaria in tropical Africa, because it cannot develop in the undergrowth (1).

The presence of intact forest habitats may provide a degree of protection against the spread of zoonotic diseases such as rabies and lassa fever leptospirosis. However, the density of human habitation and quality of sanitation are stronger drivers of these diseases.

The malaria burden is high in the communities surrounding the mine site and is endemic in the region, due to a widespread habitat suitable for mosquito breeding and disease transmission.

The area around the mine has relatively abundant forest resources but replacement of mature forest takes considerable time, with the potential for increased transmission of disease following the loss of forest in a given area. Vegetation will need to be in relatively close proximity to villages.

Wetlands, forest, lowland agriculture, wooded grassland

High Moderate

(1) Coosemans, M. and J. Mouchet. (1990). Consequences of Rural Development on Vectors and their Control. Ann. Soc. Belge Med. Trop. 70: 5-23.


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23.3.2.1 Supporting Services Because supporting services are intermediate ecological outcomes that are not directly used but rather support other ecosystem services, these services are not directly assessed but are captured elsewhere in the provisioning, regulating, and cultural services that they support. For example, changes to primary production are captured in the effects on food resources and non-use services of biodiversity. They are described in Annex 23A Ecosystem Services Screened Out of the Impact Assessment. 23.3.2.2 Ecosystem Services Prioritisation Table 23.6 summarises the importance and replaceability ratings assigned to potentially impacted ecosystem services in the baseline assessment. As described in Section 23.2.4, these components are combined in a prioritisation exercise to provide an overall evaluation of the value of ecosystem services to beneficiaries (see Table 23.2). For example, as a service of high importance and high replaceability, natural medicines are assigned a medium value rating. Ecosystem Services rated high to critical value are deemed priority ecosystem services and are assessed in detail in the Impact Assessment. Services rated medium are also included in the impact assessment but in less detail. At the end of the prioritisation process, a final ‘sustainability’ screen is applied to each services, with further implications for the assessment of impacts and mitigations. Table 23.6 Ecosystem Services Prioritisation

Ecosystem Service Importance to Affected Community

Replaceability Value Rating

Provisioning

Food: Bushmeat High Low Critical

Food: Crop cultivation Essential Moderate Critical

Food: Livestock herding High Moderate High

Food: Wild caught fish Moderate Moderate Medium

Fibre: Timber High High Medium

Fibre: non-timber forest products High Moderate High

Fuel: Firewood and charcoal Essential Moderate High

Natural Medicine High Moderate High

Water Supply: Domestic, agricultural, construction use

Essential Moderate High

Cultural

Spiritual or religious value Site-specific Site-specific Site-Specific

Traditional practices Resource specific Not replaceable Resource Specific

Existence value of biodiversity Moderate N/A Moderate

Aesthetic value of natural landscapes Moderate - High Site-Specific Site Specific

Regulating

Erosion control High Moderate High

Regulation of surface and groundwater flows

High Low Critical

Natural hazard regulation Moderate Moderate Medium

Disease regulation High Moderate High

The ratings above represent an overview for the importance and replaceability of services as a whole. However, as noted in the baseline tables, these characteristics may vary at the site level for a number of services. In those cases, a more refined assessment will be undertaken at the village level where deemed necessary. Additional stakeholder engagement and data collection as part of the PARC process and


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development of Social Management Plans will contribute to refining the impacts and mitigations provided in this report. As a final screening exercise, the list of priority ecosystem services is evaluated to determine if any of these services represents an unsustainable use of available resources. In the mine study area, bushmeat hunting is believed to be unsustainable at current levels and is therefore removed from the list of priority services. Bushmeat is rated critical in terms of value to beneficiaries in the area of the mine. However, the majority of hunting undertaken in the study area does not meet any of the three sustainability criteria (biological, ecological, socioeconomic). Most notably, hunting of primates, IUCN Red Listed species and species of conservation interest is fundamentally unsustainable as these species are declining rapidly due to numerous threats, with hunting pressure among the most significant (Chapter 12: Biodiversity). Raffia wine production is likewise not considered sustainable at this time. Raffia wine is captured under the broader ecosystem service category of non-timber forest products and therefore remains in the priority ecosystem services list. However, within this category, the assessment of impacts and mitigation measures relating to raffia palm takes into consideration unsustainable levels of use. Collection of firewood is believed to be sustainable at current levels across the mine area as a whole. However, specific areas of forest may be suffering from overexploitation of fuelwood. As a result, firewood and charcoal use are retained as a priority service but the sustainability of firewood collection will be assessed at the site level when determining appropriate mitigation for potential impacts (see Section 23.6.4). According to baseline data, use of other provisioning services in the mine area appears to be sustainable at this time. As described in Section 23.2.5, services rated of medium value are still considered of relevance to beneficiaries and are included in the impact assessment in Section 23.5.14. In the case of unsustainable “non-priority” services, mitigation measures are not designed to maintain the current value of the service by maintaining levels of use (1). Instead, standard mitigation measures are proposed that are designed to avoid, minimise and compensate for any impacts. Mitigations will tend to focus on collaboration with communities and local authorities to identify sustainable resource management strategies, reduce dependence on the threatened resource and / or develop potential substitutes for the service. 23.4 Mine Dependencies on Ecosystem Services This section provides a brief description and prioritisation of ecosystem services depended on by the mine during construction, operation and closure. To a large extent, design measures have been put in place to avoid reliance by the mine or its employees on local natural resources such as bushmeat, cultivated crops and other provisioning services in order to avoid placing additional pressure on resources in the area of the mine. As a result, the only ecosystem services for which mine project dependencies have been identified include: fresh water (provisioning service); erosion control (regulating service); and disease control (regulating service). These are discussed in more detail in Table 23.8 below.

(1) This is in contrast to the commitment to maintain the value and functionality of priority ecosystem services as defined in the IFC Performance Standards.


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Table 23.7 Ecosystem Service Dependencies of the Mine Project

Service Description Additional Information (including status, threats and availability of alternatives)

Relevant Habitats

Importance to Project

Replace-ability

Freshwater (provisioning)

The mine will require freshwater resources for a number of activities, including: plant water supply, haul road dust suppression, construction water, potable water for the workforce and for washdown areas.

In addition to operational needs, water supplies will also be needed to recharge the backfilled pit voids with groundwater as mining progresses.

The area of the mine receives high levels of rainfall and surface and groundwater availability is generally good. Availability will be lower during the dry season.

Figure 6.12 in Chapter 6: Water Environment shows the overall water balance for the mine; the net water balance remains close to or at zero throughout mine life.

Surface-water

Ground-water

Critical Moderate

Erosion control (regulating)

The mine relies on sources of natural erosion control, such as vegetation cover, to protect roads, camps and infrastructure leading to the mine.

Other than the proposed mine, no existing threats to riparian vegetation or submontane grassland have been identified in the area. Areas of similar and complementary vegetation are present on slopes and in catchments across the study area.

The mine has the potential to increase erosion in the mine area of influence (see Section 23.5.12: Impacts on Erosion Regulation).

Forest

Grassland

Moderate Moderate

Disease control (regulating)

The mine workforce is at risk of being infected by malaria. Standing water plays a role in increasing vector density, while natural vegetation plays a role in decreasing infection rates.

Malaria is endemic in the region.

The area around the mine has relatively abundant forest resources but replacement of mature forest takes considerable time, with the potential for increased transmission of disease following the loss of forest in a given area.

Forest

wetland

lowland agriculture

High Moderate

The most significant ecosystem service dependency of the mine, particularly during operation, is the need to use freshwater resources. The projected raw water demand for operational and potable supplies is shown in Table 23.9. It should stressed that the plant water demand shown in the table is very conservative since it is based upon an assumption that the produced ore will be dry and hence will require dampening for transport. In practice the moisture content of the ore is likely to be higher than this, and at certain times (eg during the wet season) may not require any watering.


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Table 23.8 Raw Water Demand Estimates for Mine Operations

Component Water Demand (l/s) Comments

Plant water supply 65 Average daily demand when plant is operational.

Dirty water source feasible.

Demand anticipated to reduce during wet season

Haul road dust suppression 37 Dirty water source feasible.

Demand anticipated to reduce during wet season.

Construction water 2 to 34 Demand from 2012 to 2015.

Primarily clean water.

Potable water 0.4 to 14 Peak supply in 2014 during construction.

Washdown areas. 5

23.4.1 Ecosystem Services Prioritisation (Dependencies) Table 23.10 summarises the importance and replaceability ratings assigned to ecosystem services depended on by the mine. In keeping with the prioritisation process carried out for potentially impacted ecosystem services, services with a high – critical value rating are considered priority services for the mine. Table 23.9 Prioritisation of Ecosystem Service Dependencies

Ecosystem Service Importance to Mine Replaceability Value Rating

Provisioning

Freshwater Provision Essential Moderate Critical

Regulating

Erosion Control Moderate Moderate Medium

Disease Regulation High Moderate High

The prioritisation process identifies freshwater provision and disease regulation (in particular malaria transmission) as priority ecosystem services in terms of dependency by the mine. Measures undertaken by the Project to ensure access to water resources and prevent malaria are described in Section 23.7. Impacts on freshwater availability and disease transmission for other beneficiaries (ie local communities) as a result of activities associated with the mine are discussed in the impact assessments in Section 23.5.1. 23.5 Assessment of Impacts 23.5.1 Overview Over the lifetime of the mine, it is expected that there will be a range of impacts on ecosystem services in the mine area of influence, with implications for the livelihoods, health, culture and wellbeing of communities within this area. The following sections present the assessment of impacts on priority and non-priority ecosystem services as defined in Table 23.7. These include: impacts on cultivated crops (Section 23.5.3); impacts on livestock (Section 23.5.4); impacts on firewood and charcoal (Section 23.5.5); impacts on non-timber forest products (Section 23.5.6); impacts on medicinal plants (23.5.7); impacts on freshwater (Section 23.5.8); impacts on spiritual and religious sites (Section 23.5.9); impacts on traditional practices (Section 23.5.10); impacts on regulation of surface water flows (Section 23.5.11); impacts on erosion regulation (Section 23.5.12);


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impacts on disease regulation (Section 23.5.13); and impacts on non-priority ecosystem services (Section 23.5.14). Where an ecosystem service is an intermediary service ie the full value of that service is captured by an ‘end-use’ service, the impact on beneficiaries is evaluated for the end-use ecosystem service only. For example, the end-use for freshwater used for crop irrigation is the production of cultivated crops; this component is therefore assessed under impacts on agricultural production. Freshwater used for household use and consumption, in contrast, is assessed under freshwater resources. Sections 23.5.3 - 23.5.13 discuss impacts on priority ecosystem services, followed by a less detailed discussion of impacts on lower priority services in Section 23.5.14. The assessment of impacts on ecosystem services is broken into direct impacts from land occupation and activities associated with the mine and indirect impacts from in-migration. The magnitude of impact during different phases of the mine is assessed as a subcomponent of these overarching categories where relevant. This structure provides a relatively straightforward structure for capturing the many different components to be synthesised in the ecosystem services analysis. As stated previously, the ecosystem services impact assessment relates to and draws from a number of other core topic area chapters in the SEIA. Rather than repeating considerable detail from the assessment of impacts and mitigation measures in the topic area chapters, impacts are summarised here and in Section 23.6: Mitigation Measures and Residual Impacts with reference to the appropriate chapter, while additional impacts or mitigation measures specific to ecosystem services are described in more detail. Finally, where ecosystem services are one component of a multifaceted socioeconomic or health impact, such as food security or the spread of disease, these broad issues are referenced here but covered in the appropriate topic area chapters. 23.5.2 Consideration of Indirect Impacts from In-Migration and Induced Access Indirect impacts from in-migration represent a significant concern for a number of ecosystem services. Chapter 18: In-Migration provides a detailed assessment of in-migration risk associated with the mine. It is expected that 60 000 to 110 000 people could seek to move into the local study area as a consequence of the mine development. By 2020, substantial population increases are forecast in several villages near the mine and in Beyla, which is already a sizeable town (estimated 120% growth to over 48 000 people by 2020). In-migration is expected to rise rapidly during the construction phase and continue at a reduced pace during the operations phase. The majority of in-migrants are expected to settle in larger communities such as Beyla, Moribadou and Nionsomoridou, but based on experience from the mine exploration period it is likely that they will spread into smaller villages and alongside transport corridors if space in larger settlements is not available. Rapid expansion and uncontrolled urban sprawl has occurred in several places in recent years, with a burgeoning of informal housing in Moribadou in particular, and development of informal camps along the roads linking Canga East camp to the N1 and the road between Nionsomoridou and Moribadou. Additional in-migration is expected to be much smaller during the operation of the mine and some out-migration of employees is likely. However, in the absence of additional information, the assessment conservatively assumes that many opportunistic migrants who settled in the area during construction will remain for the long-term unless significant opportunities arise elsewhere. Some of the most significant anticipated impacts from in-migration and induced access include increased rates of bushmeat hunting, clearing of new areas for cultivation and grazing (including through deliberate use of fire) and increased pressures on natural resources. Indirect impacts are expected to be significant for the following ecosystem services and are discussed in further detail in the impact assessment sections that follow: crop cultivation; livestock farming; firewood and charcoal; non-timber forest products;


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medicinal plants; fresh water supply; traditional practices; disease regulation; and several non-priority ecosystem services, including bushmeat, freshwater fisheries, timber, existence

value and natural hazard regulation. 23.5.3 Impacts on Cultivated Crops Agriculture is the primary subsistence activity in the area of the mine, practised by over 90% of households. Crop cultivation is of essential importance and is considered to have moderate replaceability in the study area. Much of the arable land in the immediate vicinity of the mine is not currently under cultivation; however many of the higher productivity areas are utilised and availability of replacement land will need to be confirmed through further consultation. The resulting value of cultivated crops to beneficiaries is critical. Potential impacts on agriculture from mine activities include direct impacts from occupation of land, changes in water availability, soil quality and dust deposition, and indirect impacts from in-migration. 23.5.3.1 Direct Impacts from Occupation of Land Direct impacts from temporary and permanent occupation of land during construction and operation are expected to affect cultivated land in the vicinity of the mine. Approximately 180 ha, or 3% of the land to be occupied by the mine is scattered agricultural land around the mine plant and rail loop. Of this total, 110 ha is agricultural lowland, which is viewed as the most productive land by local farmers and is used to produce staple subsistence foods for the community. Most occupation of land and hence the most significant direct impacts will take place during the construction phase. Exclusion zones will also be required, primarily as a safety measure, causing temporary disruption to agriculture. During operation, there may be additional isolated impacts on agricultural land although these will primarily be temporary in nature. In summary, the magnitude of impact from occupation of land on local populations is predicted to be large during construction and operation. During and after mine closure, the mine pits and waste emplacements will remain unsuitable for future beneficial use but much of the remaining land will be rehabilitated and become available for use. The impact on cultivated crops is therefore expected to be negligible. Given the critical value receptor, the resulting significance of direct impacts on cultivated crops from occupation of land associated with the mine is assessed as critical during construction and operation. No significant impacts are expected during closure. 23.5.3.2 Direct Impacts from Changes in Water Availability, Dust and Soil Quality Impacts on cultivated land will result from changes in water flow in rivers utilised for irrigation as well as potential impacts from dust due to construction and operation activities and potential ‘sterilisation’ of soil resources in the mine area. In a dry year, farmers utilising rivers in the mine area of influence (ie mine-affected river basins) are estimated to use 20% or more of May river flow to irrigate crops (in some cases much more). As a result, irrigated land is considered particularly sensitive to changes or fluctuations in water flow. As described in Chapter 6: Water Environment, most rice irrigation depends on small tributaries to the east of the Simandou ridge and is therefore unlikely to be affected by dewatering. However, there are some areas on the Miya River upstream of Nionsomoridou where it appears that flow in the main stream is being used to irrigate rice crops. The impacts would to a large extent be moderated by the fact that flood flows are being used to irrigate the rice and those flows are less affected by the changes to baseflows. Nevertheless, the effect may be exacerbated by conversion of about 8% of the upper catchment area for use by the mine and consequent loss of natural surface runoff (discussed in Section 23.5.8). For all catchments, the magnitude of impact on irrigation of crops and rice crops in particular will to a large extent be moderated by the fact that farmers are using flood flows to irrigate. The resulting magnitude of


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indirect impacts due to changes in water flows will be small or medium in most areas and large on the Miya, Kinyeko and Fokou West rivers, with some variation across different phases of the mine. A more detailed breakdown of impacts by catchment and project period is provided in Table 23.10 and in Chapter 6: Water Environment. Impacts on crops and other vegetation from dust deposition are assessed in Chapter 8: Air Quality. Dust from construction work areas and movement of traffic on unsurfaced roads has the potential to result in nuisance at nearby settlements and to affect crops and natural vegetation through dust deposition. Experience from construction sites around the world suggests that dust deposition levels can be sufficient to adversely affect people and vegetation at distances up to a few hundred metres from construction activity. There are no settlements or sensitive vegetation within this distance of either the construction site or the access road and significant impacts are not therefore predicted to occur from dust during construction. Impacts on crops from dust associated with construction activity or traffic within the Project site are therefore assessed as not significant. It should be noted that this assessment does not include impacts from construction traffic movements on the public road network. These are assessed as part of the assessment of overall project construction traffic impacts within the SEIA for the Simandou Railway presented in Volume II. As shown through air modelling results in Chapter 8: Air Quality, elevated levels of dust deposition are anticipated during operation, particularly around the mine pits and waste emplacements but these will cause no significant impacts from dust nuisance in nearby settlements. Dust emissions from these sources will cause an increase in dust deposition sufficient to cause minor impacts on vegetation in the prevailing wind direction (to the northeast) up to a few kilometres away but the areas affected are not of importance for natural vegetation or crops. The steep topography of the Simandou Range combined with high rainfall intensities and erodible soils means that there is also a high potential for the affected area to be extended by erosion in surrounding land where soils are disturbed. During construction, the mine has the potential to cause erosion and degradation of soil quality as a result of compaction, creation of hardstanding areas, erosion of exposed subsoils in excavated areas, and mixing lower class soils and subsoils with better quality soils. The impact will generally be to reduce the agricultural potential of affected area although it is also possible that changes may increase land capability (see Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste). During operation, the soil resources impacted by the mine will generally be of low or negligible value for agriculture and are therefore excluded from the ecosystems assessment. In summary, given the high value receptor, the resulting significance of indirect impacts on cultivated crops from changes to surface water availability will range from moderate to critical across different catchments and periods of the mine. Critical significance impacts are predicted during construction and operation on the Miya, Kinyeko and Fokou West rivers and on the Miya river following closure. No significant impacts on crops from dust generation at the mine site are expected during construction and operation. In the absence of mitigation, the reduction in soil suitability from construction activity is assessed as an impact of moderate significance based on the occupation of approximately 6 500 hectares of land of which about one third is of medium value, one third of low value and one third of negligible value. Loss of high value soils is expected to be very small. 23.5.3.3 Indirect Impacts from In-Migration Unplanned settlement expansion will put additional pressure on available land and water resources through conversion of land for housing and infrastructure and through an increase in domestic water needs. In addition, an increase in cultivation can be expected, providing additional competition for arable land and water. As discussed further in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land-Based Livelihoods, in-migration is expected to have a large magnitude indirect impact on crop cultivation during all phases. Given the critical value of crop cultivation, the resulting significance of indirect impacts from in-migration is critical prior to mitigation in all phases.


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23.5.4 Impacts on Livestock Potential impacts on livestock farming will stem from occupation of pasture land, impacts on water availability and potential restrictions of access to herding routes as well as indirect impacts from in-migration and induced access. Livestock herding is typically a secondary livelihood activity for sedentary villages in the area. However, transhumance and nomadic herders also utilise the area. Nomadic raising of livestock takes place mostly in the northern part of the mine project area and transhumant cattle herds stop or transit through this region. Herders generally camp with their herds for three to four years until pastures are exhausted before moving on to other zones. They are increasingly becoming sedentary given the high quality of the grazing land in the mine study area. Other villages typically associated with pastoralism are Wataférédou II, Baladou, Foma, Bangalidou and Kéoulendou. As described in the baseline, livestock herding is assessed to be of high importance to beneficiaries and a moderate amount of replacement pasture land is believed to be available; the resulting value rating for this service is high. 23.5.4.1 Direct Impacts from Occupation of Land Short and long term land occupation by the mine is expected to impact some areas of pasture land and longer-distance herding routes. An estimated 60% of the land to be occupied by the mine is savanna and another 19% is submontane grassland; both habitats are used for low-intensity herding activities. Due to the low-intensity of livestock farming in the area and relative availability of pasture land, direct impacts on sedentary farmers are also anticipated to be small. As a result of the high value of the service, impacts on sedentary livestock farming are assessed as moderate during construction and operation. The scope of impacts on herding routes will be relatively limited as there are not very many nomadic or transhumance herders in the mine area, most are located on the east side of the mine where restrictions to movement are not anticipated and migrations tend to occur only every three to four years. However, it is recognised that the routes used by nomadic herders can be difficult to confirm without on-going consultation. As a result, impacts on nomadic herders during construction and operation are predicted to be major prior to mitigation. During decommissioning and mine closure, the mine pits and waste emplacements will remain unsuitable for future beneficial use but much of the remaining land will be rehabilitated and become available for use. The resulting impacts on livestock farming are not significant. 23.5.4.2 Direct Impacts from Changes in Water Quantity Baseline surveys found that use of river water for livestock is widespread, but the quantity needed is very small relative to the overall flow of the river (Chapter 6: Water Environment). As a result, mine impacts on water flow will be not significant for livestock farming in the mine area. 23.5.4.3 Indirect Impacts from In-Migration Indirect impacts from in-migration, including unplanned settlement expansion and potential increases in livestock farming, will put additional pressure on available land. There is currently believed to be sufficient available pasture land to sustain a relatively large increase in use but there is still potential for farmer-herder conflicts, encroachment upon habitats that are important for biodiversity and degradation of pasture land due to overuse, particularly if population increases are rapid. The magnitude of secondary impacts on livestock is therefore predicted to be medium in all phases. As a result of the high value of livestock herding, the estimated significance of indirect impacts from in-migration is major during all phases.


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23.5.5 Impacts on Firewood and Charcoal Potential impacts on firewood and charcoal services include direct impacts from temporary or permanent land occupation and indirect impacts from in-migration. As described in the baseline, fuel wood supplies about 77% of household energy needs and charcoal another 3%. Most fuelwood used by local communities is collected outside of the Pic de Fon CF, often in forest areas near villages, but the areas closest to villages have suffered from overexploitation in recent years, perhaps brought on in part by population growth and limitations on use of the Pic de Fon. As a result, villagers are required to travel further distances to access fuelwood and other forest resources. Due to the high dependence on firewood as the primary source of fuel and increasing pressure on the resource, firewood and charcoal use is considered of high value. 23.5.5.1 Direct Impacts from Occupation of Land The magnitude of direct impacts on firewood and charcoal resources from temporary loss of access or permanent occupation of land by the mine is anticipated to be small during construction and operation due to the relatively low importance of the Pic de Fon as a fuelwood source at the current time. Given the high value of the service, the significance of direct impacts on firewood and charcoal are assessed as moderate during construction and operation. No significant impacts are expected during decommissioning and closure. 23.5.5.2 Indirect Impacts from In-Migration Indirect impacts as a result of in-migration of people into the mine area is likely to have much more significant impact on fuelwood supplies. Increased pressure on wood resources will be highest around villages that increase rapidly in population, both due to potential land conversion for housing and agriculture and increased consumption of wood resources. As described in Section 23.5.2, substantial population increases are forecast in several villages near the mine and in Beyla, which is already a sizeable town (estimated 120% growth to over 48 000 people by 2020). With the exception of Beyla, where 19% of households have access to electricity, no alternative energy sources are readily available. As a result, the magnitude of indirect impacts from in-migration is predicted to be large for construction and operation. Due to the high value of the service, the estimated significance of indirect impacts from in-migration on firewood and charcoal is assessed as critical prior to mitigation. 23.5.6 Impacts on Non-Timber Forest Products Potential impacts on non-timber forest products from mine activities include direct impacts from occupation of land and indirect impacts due to in-migration of workers, job seekers and opportunistic migrants. Non-timber forest products, including raffia palm, rattan, bamboo, straw and lianas (woody vines) are collected in villages across the mine study area for a wide range of uses (see Section 23.3.2). Most of these resources are used in house construction, while raffia in particular is also used to produce wine for commercial sale as well as for basket weaving and crafts as a source of cash income. Due to the importance and extent of use of non-timber forest products and the threat of overexploitation for some species, the service is considered to be high value. 23.5.6.1 Direct Impacts from Occupation of Land Some of the villages in the mine study area have village lands that are included within the territory of the Classified Forest and / or rely on the natural resources within the forest as an integral part of their livelihood systems. A significant proportion of current harvesting of bamboo, lianas and straw takes place in the Pic de Fon Classified Forest. However, these resources are widely available in the immediate area. Raffia palm is typically harvested outside the Pic de Fon forest, where most occupation of land will occur. Given the relative abundance and location of most non-timber forest products, the mine should be able to avoid


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impacting a significant portion of any given community’s non-timber resources. The magnitude of direct impacts on non-timber forest products as a result of temporary loss of access or permanent occupation of land is therefore predicted to be small. As a result of the high value of the service, the magnitude of direct impacts from occupation of land is assessed as moderate prior to mitigation. 23.5.6.2 Indirect Impacts from In-Migration Indirect impacts from in-migration are predicted to have a much more significant impact on availability of non-timber forest products, both due to land conversion for housing and agriculture and increased pressure on available resources. As described in the baseline, there are indications that raffia palm is already being overharvested in the mine area, particularly near villages that have seen population growth due to the influx of people seeking jobs on the Project. Impacts are expected to be much smaller for fast growing and abundant bamboo and straw species. The magnitude of impact is therefore estimated to be small for most non-timber forest products but moderate for raffia. Prior to mitigation, the estimated significance of indirect impacts from in-migration on non-timber forest products is assessed as moderate with the exception of impacts on services provided by raffia palm, which are assessed as major. 23.5.7 Impacts on Medicinal Plants Plants used for medicinal purposes can be found both inside and outside the Pic de Fon CF. Local healers are accustomed to walking relatively long distances to collect medicinal plants but resources are not believed to be threatened by current harvesting rates. As a result, replaceability of the service is considered moderate for the area as a whole, but may vary at the village level. Given the low income of local populations and the high cost of drugs, traditional medicine is an important resource for many people in the area. The value of the service is therefore rated high for the area as a whole. As discussed further in Section 23.6.1, the Project will undertake further stakeholder consultation and data collection at the village level as part of the PARC process and development of Social Management Plans. 23.5.7.1 Direct Impacts from Occupation of Land As with timber and other forest products, the mine will impact collection of natural medicines through occupation of land and restriction of access during construction and operation. These impacts are expected to be of small magnitude given the relatively wide distribution of plant resources relative to the loss of access due to the mine. Given the high value of the service, impacts are assessed as moderate during construction and operation prior to mitigation. 23.5.7.2 Indirect Impacts from In-Migration Indirect impacts on natural medicine from in-migration will stem from unplanned settlement growth and subsequent loss of habitat as well as the potential for increased demand for specific medicinal plants. Impacts will likely vary at the village level depending upon the pace and extent of settlement growth, access to alternatives and the medicinal preferences of newcomers. The magnitude of impact is conservatively rated medium during all phases but may vary at the village level. The significance of indirect impacts is therefore major prior to mitigation for the area as a whole, but will be assessed through further studies at the village level (see further discussion under Mitigation). 23.5.8 Impacts on Fresh Water Supply The availability of sufficient and clean freshwater is critical to sustaining human life, preventing water related diseases, irrigating crops, sustaining livestock and maintaining habitat for freshwater fish. A complete assessment of impacts on freshwater availability and quality in the mine study area is provided in Chapter 6: Water Environment. A summary of this analysis is provided here and referenced in other sections of this chapter as appropriate for ‘end-use’ services such as agriculture and freshwater fish. Transmission of water-


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borne diseases such as cholera has been closely linked to sanitation in the home and availability of public services in the study area; as a result, this impact is not included here but is assessed in more detail in Chapter 21: Community, Health, Safety and Security. Mine activities may have direct impacts on fresh water supply due to changes in patterns of surface water drainage and flow, consumption of water resources by the mine and changes in water quality in catchments downstream of mining activities. Indirect impacts from in-migration will arise as a result of settlement growth and an increase in demand for freshwater. Freshwater supply is one of the most important resources for people living in the vicinity of the mine (Section 23.3.2). The Pic de Fon and Ouéléba ridges serve as the source of the majority of rivers and streams in the area, making these catchment areas sensitive to mine activities that could impact water quality and quantity. A full discussion of the catchment areas and villages utilising surface and groundwater flowing from Pic de Fon and Ouéléba is provided in Chapter 6: Water Environment. Freshwater is used by local communities for domestic purposes, for construction and in agriculture. Impacts on the latter are assessed as an end-use service in Section 23.5.3. As described in the baseline, villages living in hillside catchments have varying degrees of reliance on surface water; some villages have a number of wells as well as access to a stream, while others depend solely on a single stream. Most of the villages that may be impacted by changes in base flow have access to at least one alternative river or groundwater resource. Overall, freshwater is considered essential to beneficiaries and replaceability is moderate. The value of the service is therefore high for the mine area of influence as a whole. However, replaceability will vary at the village level; the value of potentially impacted water sources therefore varies likewise at the local level. 23.5.8.1 Impacts on Water Quantity The most significant potential impacts on surface water flows at the mine site will occur due to changes in the pattern of groundwater flows, and hence springs and stream baseflows as a result of the progressive excavation and dewatering of the mine pits and the subsequent discharge of dewatered volumes into various watercourses around the site. Impacts will also occur due to the diversion of surface water flows as the upper catchment areas of some streams are isolated within the footprint of the mine, or where waste rock emplacements and flow retention structures are introduced. All of these impacts will vary throughout the course of the mine life as the process of dewatering, excavation and backfilling progresses. They will eventually reach a new equilibrium once mining has finished and closure has been achieved. Chapter 6: Water Environment, describes the results of modelling carried out to assess the magnitude of impacts from dewatering on surface water flows from the Ouéléba and Pic de Fon ridges over the life of the mine. The analysis follows a conservative approach in that it describes the potential effects of the mining operation on stream baseflows, ie the contribution to flow made by groundwater, and excludes contributions to flow from rainfall-runoff. The significance of the effects described will therefore be much reduced during the wet season when the flow contribution from surface runoff (and also interflow) is generally much greater. The relative contributions from surface runoff and baseflow vary according to specific catchment characteristics, including soil cover and underlying geology. The proportion of surface runoff varies from an average of around 10% during the dry season, to 50% in the wet season. The proportion is significantly higher and as much as 90% during times of peak rainfall. The resulting impact on catchments utilised by communities for domestic and agricultural use is summarised in Table 23.11 below. Impacts are also presented in Chapter 6: Water Environment in map form. It should be stressed that these estimates describe potential impacts under low follow (ie dry season) conditions and are prior to any mitigation being implemented.


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Table 23.10 Assessment of Flow Related Community Water Supply Impacts By Catchment

Village supply Catchment Impact significance

Year 10 Year 25 Year 50 Post closure

Western flank (north to south)

Traorela Kinyeko Critical Critical Critical Major

Orono Woron Not significant Major Major Positive (1)

Mandou Woron Not significant Major Major Positive (1)

Tourela Dianiworo Not significant Major Moderate Moderate

Kakano Soumourou Not significant Major Moderate Positive (1)

Eastern flank (north to south)

Nionsonmoridou Miya Critical Critical Critical Critical

Foma (Boe River) Boe Moderate Moderate Not significant Not significant

All other supplies Not significant Not significant Not significant Not significant

Note: all affected supplies classed as high value receptor, with exception of Boe River at Foma where significant alternative nearby surface water supply exists (Loffa River). Unaffected supplies are not included in table.

In addition to the impacts above, some direct impacts on water supply are anticipated through Project demand for fresh water over the approximate 50 year lifecycle of the mine. The projected raw water demand for operational and potable supplies is discussed in Chapter 6: Water Environment and in Section 23.4 of this chapter. In addition to the operational needs, water supplies will also be needed to recharge the backfilled pit voids with groundwater as mining progresses. It is currently envisaged that the majority of this water supply will be drawn from the dewatering boreholes via the Mine Water Management System (MWMS) described in Chapter 6: Water Environment. The possible exception is the camp potable water supply that may need to be drawn from an independent borehole close to the camp given its distance from the dewatering system. For most of the life of the mine, the water available from dewatering will exceed potential demands on the supply. Moreover, the plant water demand estimates used in the assessment are very conservative since they are based upon an assumption that the produced ore will be dry and hence will require dampening for transport. In practice the moisture content of the ore is likely to be high at times, for example during the wet season. Notwithstanding the above, there may be discrete periods when demand will exceed available supply from dewatering, for example from 2025 to 2026 and 2031 to 2037. During these periods, sustainable alternative supplies may need to be developed for the project that may be additional to the aforementioned groundwater supply that will be needed for the camp. The development of these supplies may in turn affect nearby community groundwater supplies, either by reducing their available yield or by interfering with the water table conditions in the existing wells. These impacts will therefore need to be mitigated.

A shown in Table 23.11, the most significant (critical) impacts of flows relevant to community water supply are predicted to occur to the northwest and northeast of Ouéléba (Traoréla and Nionsomoridou respectively) both during mine life and following closure. Major impacts are also predicted to occur for the supplies along the Woron River and the Dianiworo River at Touréla in mid to late mine life, and by consequence to the Soumourou at Kakano which is fed by both rivers. Baseflows in the Woron catchment are thereafter predicted to recover to higher than present levels follow mine closure. Without mitigation, the potential significance of impacts relating to Project demand for water (water supply conflicts) is assessed as moderate. This is based upon the high value of the service and the potential for discrete periods when dewatering flows are insufficient to meet demand and pressures on resources may therefore increase.

(1) In the case of community water supplies, it has been assumed that an increase in average stream baseflow will provide a positive impact (eg the baseflow effects as modelled would not have any discernible impact on flood flow levels).


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23.5.8.2 Impacts on Water Quality As described in more detail in Chapter 6: Water Environment, changes in water quality may occur during construction and operation of the mine due to ground disturbance (see Section 23.5.12: Erosion Regulation), contaminated surface water runoff, dewatering discharge, acid rock drainage and sewage discharge from worker camps have the potential to impact water users in the catchment areas downstream of the mine. Water quality in the area is generally good, with the exception of occasionally high elevated Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and turbidity levels due to erosion, and high faecal coliform readings downstream of villages. With regard to the first three issues listed above, the potential risks of detrimental impacts on water quality will be higher where construction activities are close to surface water bodies. Risks may further increase if works are carried out within a watercourse (eg for culvert or bridge construction), or from the potential de-stabilisation of soils and channel banks that may lead to erosion and deposition of sediment into water bodies. There may also be risks of pollution from the uncontrolled runoff or accidental spillage of fuels and lubricants, or from the inadequate or unsafe disposal of sanitary wastewater from construction sites. Whilst the volume of any accidental hydrocarbon (primarily diesel) spillages would typically be very small (a few litres or less), a road tanker accident could release up to 30 000 litres into the water environment if the spillage occurred directly into a flowing watercourse. The potential for pit lakes, runoff and / or groundwater to become contaminated due to acid rock drainage following closure of the mine is considered small (see Chapter 6: Water Environment). Nevertheless, a Mine Closure and Reclamation Plan will be developed that will include a detailed analysis of final pit lake water quality and seasonal discharge regimes to enable suitable discharge controls and (if required) passive treatment measures to be designed and implemented prior to closure. However, should these control systems fail after closure, downstream watercourses may become contaminated and water quality impacted. The magnitude of impacts on water quality prior to mitigation is predicted to be medium during construction and operation and small following closure. Due to the high value of the service, the significance of impacts on water quality is assessed as major during construction and operation and moderate following closure. 23.5.8.3 Indirect Impacts from In-Migration Indirect impacts on fresh water supply may occur as the population in the area increases due to in-migration. The growth of settlements, anticipated changes in lifestyle due to increased availability of cash and potential improvements to water delivery infrastructure will all lead to additional water consumption. This impact will continue through all mine phases and post closure. The magnitude of this impact is medium in more remote areas and large near the villages expected to grow most significantly, such as Moribadou, Beyla and Nionsomoridou (see Chapter 18: In-Migration). Indirect impacts from in-migration are therefore expected to have a major to critical impact on freshwater services during all phases. 23.5.9 Impacts on Spiritual and Religious Sites (Living Cultural Heritage) Spiritual or religious sites associated with the living environment may include initiation sites, sacred forests and trees, sacrifice and offering sites and residencies of genies and spirits. These sites are referred to as Living Cultural Heritage (LCH) sites within the context of the SEIA cultural heritage impact assessment (Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage). Direct impacts on spiritual and religious sites may result from occupation of land, restriction of access, changes in ambience as a result of noise and light during construction and operation and changes to regulating services such as fire regulation or flood control that result in impacts on a particular site. 23.5.9.1 Direct Impacts on Spiritual and Religious Sites As discussed in Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage, direct physical impacts are expected to occur at the following LCH sites in the mine area: CH-53, a sacred site known as Siyatouro of medium importance; CH-56, a sacred site known as Wereba of low importance;


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CH-64, a sacred site known as Dalaro of medium importance; and CH-67, known as Samakounkaba or Elephant Head Rock, of medium importance.

For the LCH sites, importance levels were determined by interviews with local informants. For example, Samakounkaba or Elephant Head Rock (CH-67) is considered to be of medium importance from the input from local stakeholders who have indicated that the rock and its sacred function can be moved. None of the LCH sites expected to be impacted by the Project qualify as non-replicable cultural heritage, as stakeholders have indicated the possibility for the relocation of these sites. In addition to the impacts that can be predicted for known sites, impacts are likely to occur at cultural heritage sites that have yet to be identified in the mine project area. Disruption of site access may occur if Project activities or structures hinder users from accessing a site. Increased traffic along the road during both construction and operation could make accessing the site more difficult or dangerous. Disruption of site access is not a predicted impact for any known sites in the mine area. Changes in the ambience and character of cultural heritage sites in the mine area are likewise not expected at any known sites in the mine area. However, impacts relating to disruption of access and site ambience are more difficult to predict than physical impacts and these kinds of impacts may arise as the Project moves forward. For this reason, the Community Team will be engaging in community consultation with site users on topics of site use, access and significance to identify potential impacts and decide on appropriate mitigation measures if impacts do arise. The resulting significance of impacts on LCH sites is summarised in Table 23.12. Table 23.11 Significance of Impacts on Living Cultural Heritage Sites in the Mine Study Area

CH Site Code Site Value Project Impact Impact Magnitude Impact Significance

CH-53 Medium

Lost through development of waste emplacement.

High Major

CH-56 Low Disturbed or removed by

development of mine pit. High Moderate

CH-64 Medium

Lost through development of mine pit.

High Major

CH-67 Medium Lost through development

of mine pit. High Major

In addition to the above, there is the potential for changes in the provision of certain regulating services to impact either LCH or archaeological sites in the area of the mine. Fire regulation and flood control have been identified as regulating services in the mine area with the potential to impact cultural sites. As described in Section 23.5.14.5, the magnitude of impacts on fire regulation services is estimated to be medium during construction and operation of the mine and negligible following closure. An increase in bushfires could lead to ohsyical damage or loss of access to a site. Potentially affected sites have not been identified at this time. The resulting impact on high value cultural heritage sites due to an increase in fire potential is therefore conservatively rated major during construction and operation. As described in Section 23.5.14.5, impacts from the mine on flood regulation are expected to be not significant following implementation of design measures; no impacts are expected on cultural heritage sites. 23.5.10 Impacts on Traditional Practices Local communities in the mine study area have depended on certain provisioning services, such as freshwater fish, bushmeat and natural medicines for many generations. Where mine activities have the potential to impact the availability of, or access to, these services, there is an associated cultural impact, as local communities face a loss or decline of traditional practices. Traditional practices that depend on ecosystem services potentially impacted by the project include: crop cultivation (Section 23.5.3); livestock herding (Section 23.5.4);


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production of traditional crafts (Section 23.5.6); use of natural medicines (Section 23.5.7). hunting of wild bushmeat (Section 23.5.14); fishing (Section 23.5.14). Impacts on each of these provisioning services are described in the relevant sections of this chapter, referenced in the list above. Prior to mitigation, it is predicted that impacts on traditionally utilised provisioning services will range from moderate (freshwater fisheries) to critical (eg crop cultivation, firewood). The cultural value associated with traditional practices is not replaceable. The value of this service to the individuals and communities who would lose one or more traditional practices is difficult to estimate in advance of targeted stakeholder consultation; the value placed on traditional cultural practices may also vary considerably across individuals and groups. As a result, value is conservatively estimated to be high and the resulting impacts on traditional practices are assessed as critical overall for construction and operation and moderate during decommissioning and closure. In addition to placing pressure on provisioning services in the area of the mine, the influx of people as a result of the mine may have longer-term impacts on cultural practices and traditions in the area. However, cultural shifts voluntarily adopted by people in the area are not considered negative impacts of the Project (see Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage). 23.5.11 Impacts on Regulation of Surface Water Flows Natural regulation of surface water flows is an intermediate service that supports the provision of freshwater for natural habitats and human use. “End-use” ecosystem services for freshwater include irrigation of cultivated and semi-wild crops, household water use and freshwater fishing. Impacts on these services as a result of changes in water availability are therefore assessed in Sections 23.5.3, 23.5.8 and 23.5.14, respectively. In addition to impacts on water availability and quality for community use, the mine has the potential to disrupt local drainage patterns and cause upstream flooding through the construction of permanent cross-drainage infrastructure (eg bridges and culverts). As described in more detail in Chapter 6: Water Environment, in order to minimise any drainage or flood related effects, a high level of flood conveyance capacity has been adopted for cross-drainage design that will be applied to individual crossing locations once the final crossing locations have been established. Taking these measures into account, the significance of impacts on drainage patterns is assessed as moderate prior to mitigation during construction and operation of the mine. 23.5.12 Impacts on Erosion Regulation This section discusses potential impacts on erosion regulation services provided by natural vegetation. As an intermediate service that contributes to freshwater quality, erosion-related impacts on TSS and water quality in catchments utilised by local communities are assessed in Section 23.5.8. Other impacts not captured in the freshwater quality analysis may include decreases in slope stability and soil quality in the mine area. Erosion regulation does not have natural replacements but restoration of vegetation can return the service to its original function. Vegetation in the area is generally fast growing and resilient to change. Replaceability of the service is therefore considered medium and the service is considered of high value overall. Activities during the construction and operation phases will result in clearing of vegetation on catchment slopes in the mine area, resulting in a moderate reduction in erosion regulation provided by these habitats. Given the high rainfall intensities experienced in most of the project area, the loss of natural regulation services in addition to any erosion directly caused by mine activities would be a significant concern. Ground disturbance during construction and pit excavation may increase the potential for erosion. Activities include pre-stripping within the open pit areas, haul road construction, mineral waste emplacement preparation and general construction activities.


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Prior to mitigation, impacts on erosion regulation are assessed as major during construction and operation of the mine. As described in more detail in Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste, no significant impacts are anticipated during deregulation and closure. 23.5.13 Impacts on Disease Regulation Natural habitats can influence the spread of vector-borne diseases to humans. As described in the baseline, the primary concern in terms of vector-borne diseases in the mine area is malaria. Standing can increase the spread of malaria through provision of breeding grounds. In addition, clearance of dense vegetation has been shown to improve breeding habitat for Anopheles gambiae, the main vector of malaria in tropical Africa (see Section 23.3.2). The importance of the service to beneficiaries is high given the seriousness of the disease and the role of environmental factors in influencing transmission; replaceability of the service is moderate (assuming vegetation will need to be relatively dense and in relatively close proximity to villages to reduce transmission and standing water will require moderate efforts to avoid). The resulting value of the service is rated high. Direct impacts on disease regulation may occur as a result of changes in the presence of standing water outside the wet season and clearance of dense forest areas near inhabited areas. Other factors influencing disease transmission and treatment, such as increased population density and availability of health services, are not ecosystem related. These are assessed in Chapter 21: Community, Health, Safety and Security. 23.5.13.1 Direct Impacts on Disease Regulation Increased transmission of malaria as a result of the mine is assessed in further detail in Chapter 21: Community, Health, Safety and Security. As discussed there, the highly endemic nature of malaria in Guinea means that the mine is unlikely to significantly add to the already high disease burden of the community during the wet season. However, the mine is expected to have a direct impact on the spread of malaria by increasing the availability of mosquito breeding grounds through modifications of the environment (eg borrow pits, trenches, dams and continuous dewatering) and creation of small water pools (eg wheel ruts and footprints) that may change mosquito breeding patterns and extend the length of the dry season beyond the current peak of June to October. This could potentially result in an increase in the number of cases of malaria during what is currently the low season. These impacts are likely to occur throughout the life of the mine and will have a long-term impact on most of the communities in the study area. The magnitude of impact is therefore large during construction and operation of the mine. Due to the high value of the service, the significance of direct impacts prior to mitigation is considered to be critical. 23.5.13.2 Indirect Impacts from In-Migration There is some potential for indirect impacts on the spread of malaria due to in-migration. Unmanaged settlement expansion would likely result in the clearing of vegetation and could result in increased rice farming in the immediate area of villages. These changes could influence breeding patterns and infection rates in the area. The magnitude of these changes is difficult to predict and will likely be largest around villages with high levels of predicted in-migration, such as Moribadou and Nionsomoridou. Impacts are expected to be highest during construction, when villages would likely still be expanding. During operation and closure, additional clearing of vegetation for settlement growth is considered less likely as in-migration is expected to slow. As a result, the magnitude of impact from in-migration is conservatively estimated to be medium during construction and small during operation. Due to the high value of the service, impacts on disease regulation are conservatively estimated to be major during construction of the mine and moderate during operation and closure. 23.5.14 Impacts on Non-Priority Ecosystem Services This section summarises impacts and mitigation measures to non-priority ecosystem services in the mine area. Non-priority services are those rated of medium value or lower in the prioritisation exercise in Section 23.3.2 as well as services that are not considered sustainable (eg bushmeat). In the case of non-priority ecosystem services, mitigation measures do not necessarily maintain the value and functionality of the service, but do still strive to avoid and minimise impacts in line with the wider approach taken by the


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SEIA. Non-priority ecosystem services potentially impacted by mine activities include bushmeat, freshwater fisheries, timber, existence value, aesthetic value and natural hazard regulation. The assessment of impacts on non-priority services is summarised at a slightly higher level than for the priority ecosystem services assessed above. Where the topic area is still of high importance to the overall SEIA, as is the case for bushmeat, this is covered in considerable detail in other chapters of the SEIA. 23.5.14.1 Bushmeat The mine will have direct impacts on species hunted by local people through habitat loss and fragmentation as well as other activities associated with the mine. In-migration and induced access are expected to increase the intensity of bushmeat hunting, with negative impacts on targeted species, habitats and biodiversity in the area as well as long-term implications for the people relying on the service. A detailed assessment of direct and indirect impacts on habitats and species targeted by hunters is provided in Chapter 12: Biodiversity. Due to the fact that bushmeat hunting is considered an unsustainable activity in the area, the primary concern regarding impacts on the service is to avoid contributing to further expansion of bushmeat hunting while avoiding negative impacts on food security and livelihoods. According to baseline studies, bushmeat is considered of essential importance to local people living in the area of the mine. An estimated 85% of meat consumed in local communities comes from wild animals; the cost of buying meat is high and wild meat is considered more desirable than farmed meat (Section 23.3.2). The abundance and availability of alternatives for wild-caught meat (ie replaceability) is low, resulting in a critical value rating for the service. Substitutes for the protein provided by bushmeat exist in the area, but are considered less desirable by many local people as compared to bushmeat. Hunting of some of the more abundant and resilient species in the area may be sustainable; this would need to be assessed in more detail through further field studies and collaboration with local stakeholders. Some direct impacts on bushmeat hunting are anticipated due to loss of access and degradation of habitat in the area of the mine. However, these impacts will be small in magnitude due to the fact that most impacts will accrue in the Pic de Fon Classified Forest, where a moratorium on hunting has been in place for several years. There will still be some impacts on illegal hunting in the Pic de Fon CF. Direct impacts as a result of employee hunting or consumption of bushmeat are expected to be major prior to mitigation, due to the large number of employees and duration of activities. The most significant impacts on bushmeat hunting are expected to result from in-migration and induced access. Conversion of forest and grassland due to growth of settlements, cultivated land and livestock farming as well as increased hunting pressure are predicted to have a large magnitude impact on provision of this service. Bushmeat hunting is expected to increase in the short term, with negative consequences for targeted species, particularly those that are already threatened by habitat loss and overexploitation. Growing affluence in the mine area is also expected to lead to a greater ability to purchase bushmeat, potentially driving up hunting pressure even further. Over the medium to long term, this is expected to impact the viability of bushmeat as a food source as well as have significant consequences for biodiversity. Given the critical value of the service and overall large magnitude of impacts, the mine is assessed to have a critical impact on bushmeat prior to mitigation. 23.5.14.2 Freshwater Fisheries Potential impacts on wild-caught fish from mine activities include impacts from changes in patterns of surface water drainage and flow at the mine, degradation of water quality and indirect impacts from in-migration. Inland fishing in rivers, wetlands and bas fonds is a moderately important subsistence activity and provides a secondary source of protein and income for a number of households in the mine study area. The freshwater species targeted by people in the study area are relatively abundant and adaptable to changes in water quality and quantity. The resulting value rating for freshwater fisheries is medium for the mine study area. Additional information on the importance and sustainability of fish catch at the village level will be collected through on-going stakeholder engagement activities as part of the PARC and Social Management Plan processes.


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Impacts on freshwater fisheries may occur as a result of impacts from the mine on water quantity and quality during construction and operation (described in more detail in Section 23.5.8). The most significant potential impacts in the mine study area will occur due to changes in surface water drainage and flow caused by the dewatering of the mine. These changes will affect wild-caught fish during the construction and operation phases and to a lesser extent following closure of the mine. Changes in water quality due to ground disturbance, dewatering discharge, acid rock drainage and worker camps also have the potential to impact fish abundance and health. The magnitude of combined water quality and flow impacts on freshwater fishing during construction and operation is conservatively assessed as large prior to mitigation and small following closure of the mine. Indirect impacts on wild caught fish may occur as result of in-migration of workers and opportunity seekers to the area. Fish species targeted by local communities are not currently believed to be overexploited, but with additional pressure on agriculture and forest resources there may be a corresponding increase in fish consumption as a cheap, relatively accessible source of protein. Secondary impacts due to in-migration are expected to have a medium magnitude impact on wild caught fish. Taking into account the medium value of the resource the significance of combined impacts on freshwater fisheries prior to mitigation is assessed as major during construction and operation and minor following closure of the mine. 23.5.14.3 Timber The mine will impact wood products used for local construction through occupation of land and restriction of access to forest resources. There is currently no commercial logging in the Pic de Fon CF or surrounding forests, but timber is an important resource for the construction of houses and furniture. Timber is considered to have a moderate amount of spatial alternatives in the study area, with some species more susceptible to overharvesting than other. This service is therefore considered of medium value in the study area. Some regulated harvesting of wood for construction will be allowed in the production and mining areas of the Pic de Fon CF, solely on the basis of meeting household needs. As this is not expected to be a major source of wood and access to resources will be maintained, the magnitude of direct impacts during construction and operation are anticipated to be small. Indirect impacts on timber from in-migration will stem from unplanned settlement growth and increased pressure on forest resources, including wood products. As is the case for other forest products and natural resources in the study area, these impacts are expected to be more significant and more difficult to predict than direct impacts. Given the relatively good availability of wood resources in the area, the magnitude of impact from in-migration during construction and operation is predicted to be medium. Due to the medium value of the service, combined direct and indirect impacts are expected to have a moderate impact on timber resources during all phases prior to mitigation. 23.5.14.4 Existence Value of Biodiversity The value that people around the world place on the knowledge that species and habitats exist, typically rare, beautiful or otherwise distinctive ones, is known as ‘existence value.’ This value is expressed internationally through support for conservation organisations and in organised causes to protect particular species or areas from human use, among other examples. Field studies undertaken by the Project in 2009-2010 included this topic to an extent and found that communities tended to express value through spiritual and religious values (Section 23.5.9). Since existence value is not a tangible or easily quantified concept, the SEIA does not attempt to assign a rating to impacts on this service. Instead, the biodiversity assessment considers impacts on habitats and species that have been identified as high value through the determination of critical habitat (see Chapter 12: Biodiversity).


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23.5.14.5 Aesthetic Value of Natural Landscapes As described in Chapter 14: Landscape, the mine will have a direct impact on the view of the Pic de Fon and Ouéléba ridge as seen from a number of villages in the mine study area. The Pic de Fon and Ouéléba ridges are significant landmarks for villages in the area and local people attach considerable cultural importance to the landscape. The value derived from these landscape features is not the same for all villages in the area; rather, those with prominent and unobstructed views of the two ridgelines are considered the most sensitive receptors. Since aesthetic value is not directly linked to the livelihoods, health, safety and / or cultural heritage of communities in most instances, it is not considered a priority ecosystem service. A number of management measures for landscape impacts are already included in Project design and operational planning. These are referenced in Section 23.5.1 and incorporated into the prediction of impacts here. As described in the text and photographic examples provided in Chapter 14: Landscape, construction activities including clearing and stripping, vehicle movements and construction of infrastructure, will have a medium magnitude impact on the character of the surrounding landscape. During operation, the progression of mining activities will change the appearance of the ridgelines and night-time lighting during construction and operation will be visible in some areas. The mined escarpment and exposed faces will appear unnatural until they are rehabilitated within five years of closure. Areas where large magnitude impacts are expected during operations include views from Moribadou, Wataférédou II, and Traoréla. A detailed description of impacts at the village level is provided alongside photographic examples in Chapter 14: Landscape. A summary of the major considerations in the assessment of impacts is provided below. The population of Wataférédou II is considered to be highly sensitive and is predicted to experience critical landscape and visual impacts due to its proximity to the mine components and unobstructed view.

Moribadou is in proximity to the mine components and populated by several thousand people who currently are able to clearly see Pic de Fon, the third highest mountain in Guinea, and the Ouéléba escarpment from their houses and communities. Pic de Fon and the Ouéléba escarpment are considered to be landmark landscapes. Under these circumstances, these Sensitive Visual Receptor (SVR) locations would usually be considered highly sensitive to change. However, the population increased from approximately 768 in 2007 to approximately 8 078 in 2011 with the majority of people migrating to seek employment with the Project. It is likely that they will associate changes to the landscape and visual resources with a potential improvement in livelihood and quality of life. Accordingly, this location is considered moderately sensitive and is predicted to experience major landscape and visual impacts.

Traoréla is also in proximity to the mine components, principally mining activity at Ouéléba, seen from a distance of 2.4 km away. Traoréla’s population increased from 329 in 2007 to 1 053 in 2011, however, most of this in-migration is from within the local government administrative district and is not motivated primarily by employment with the Project. The population is therefore likely to have a closer cultural connection to Simandou than the population at Moribadou. However, views from Traoréla are partially screened by topography in the foreground and for this reason it was considered to be moderately sensitive. It is predicted to experience major landscape and visual impacts. In summary, the landscape and visual impact assessment finds that there is likely to be a critical impact on views from Wataférédou II owing to a large magnitude of change on a highly sensitive visual receptor. There are likely to be major landscape and visual impacts on views from Moribadou and Traoréla owing to a large magnitude of change on moderately sensitive visual receptors. 23.5.14.6 Natural Hazard Regulation As described in the baseline, natural vegetation plays multiple roles in terms of regulating the occurrence and severity of natural hazards. Wild bushfires are a recurring event in the study area and forested areas, particularly dense forest, act as a natural fire break. Natural vegetation along steep catchment areas can help to prevent hazardous flood events. Areas where natural vegetation provides a protective function are


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relatively abundant in the study area, but would take a moderate length of time to return to their present state following disturbance. These areas are therefore considered of medium value to beneficiaries. Direct impacts on fire regulation services in the mine study area include degradation and fragmentation of forest resources through land occupied for the mine and its facilities. Approximately 1 095 ha of forest land is expected to be occupied by the mine. This may have some implications for fire prevention around the mine area. Given the fact that the mine will not directly impact the community forests that are maintained around villages in part as a form of firebreak, the magnitude of the impact is estimated to be medium during construction and operation. No direct impacts are expected following revegetation after mine closure. Potential indirect impacts from in-migration include degradation and loss of forest resources as a result of settlement growth. In addition, deliberate setting of fires to clear new land may lead to additional threat of brushfires, increasing the importance of fire regulation in the area. The magnitude of this impact is conservatively rated large during all phases of the project. Given the medium value of the service, the significance of indirect impacts on fire regulation is therefore major for all phases. 23.6 Mitigation Measures and Residual Impacts 23.6.1 Overview As standard good practice, the mine will strive to avoid and then to minimise all impacts through design before undertaking mitigation. Design measures aimed at achieving this goal are summarised in the description of relevant Project design measures provided earlier in the chapter (Section 23.5.1). The following section provides a description of mitigation measures and predicted residual impacts on ecosystem services in the mine study area, including: mitigation of impacts on cultivated crops; mitigation of impacts on livestock; mitigation of impacts on firewood and charcoal; mitigation of impacts on non-timber forest products; mitigation of impacts on medicinal plants; mitigation of impacts on freshwater; mitigation of impacts on spiritual and religious sites (Living Cultural Heritage); mitigation of impacts on traditional practices; mitigation of impacts on regulation of surface and groundwater flows; mitigation of impacts on erosion regulation; mitigation of impacts on disease regulation; and mitigation of impacts on non-priority ecosystem services.

For the 11 priority ecosystem services identified in the study area, the measures implemented by the Project have the additional goal of maintaining the value and functionality of these services for beneficiaries over the short and long term. Due to the cross-cutting nature of the subject area, mitigation of impacts on ecosystem services will be captured under a range of programmes under both the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and Social Management Framework (SMF) to be implemented by the Project. In some cases, mitigation measures are common across several impact topics, for instance, provision of support for natural resource management efforts by authorities and local communities is important for nearly all impacts on provisioning services in the area. A brief discussion of some of the management plans and programmes that will be relevant across a number of different ecosystem services is provided in Sections 23.6.1.1 to 23.6.1.3. 23.6.1.1 Social Management Framework The Social Management Framework (SMF) provides a structure for the detailed design and implementation of the Project’s social mitigation measures, which will be captured in a series of Social Management Plans. The SMF covers all social mitigation included under the Project, including the PARC Framework and In-migration Management Plan, discussed in more detail below. A full discussion of the SMF is provided in Volume V: Social and Environmental Management Plan.


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As illustrated in Figure 23.2 the SMF groups social mitigation measures into a number of programmes under four themes: Urban and Rural Planning; Employment Creation and Livelihoods; Community Health, Safety, and Security; and Cultural Heritage and Awareness. These themes serve to highlight linkages between mitigation measures developed for different impacts and to promote coordination of efforts during detailed mitigation design and implementation. The Social Management Plans will build upon the SMF to describe detailed actions, indicators and targets for each theme to be achieved through their respective programmes. The detailed design and implementation of the SMF mitigation measures will be influenced by a number of factors, including prioritisation of mitigation measures, alignment with the development policies and plans of local communities and government authorities and consultation with affected communities (see Chapter 16: Employment and Economic Development for a full discussion). Due to the fact that the final receptors of any changes in ecosystem services will be human beneficiaries, most of the mitigation for ecosystem service impacts will fall under the Social Management Framework (SMF). That said, where there are cross-cutting issues, the social and environmental teams will coordinate to develop and implement appropriate mitigation.


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Figure 23.2 Simandou Project Social Management Framework

Urban and Rural Planning

Programme Development

Prioritisation Alignment

SOCIAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

Stakeholder Engagement

Consultation, Information Exchange, and PartnershipsCapacity Building

• Vision and Objectives • Organisation • Funding • Programmes • Schedule • Communication • Monitoring and Evaluation

Development Policies

Grievance ManagementGovernment Donors Communities

Civil Society and NGOs

Private Sector

Employment Creation and Livelihoods

Community Health, Safety, and Security

Cultural Heritage and Awareness

PACV Studies and

AnalysisRegional Development Forum

Impacts and Risks Project Phase

Agriculture and Food Security

Local Procurement

SME Development

Employment and Work Readiness

Community Health

Community Safety and Security

Human RightsEmployee Housing

Infrastructure

Tangible Heritage

Intangible Heritage

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Resettlement and Livelihood Restoration(PARC Framework and Implementation)

Beneficiaries Project Affected Peoples

In-Migration


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Some of the key programmes under the SMF in terms of mitigating impacts on ecosystem services include: 1. resettlement and livelihood restoration (PARC Framework and implementation); 2. in-migration management; and 3. agriculture and food security (including impacts on natural resources and land-based livelihoods).

More detail on the relationship of these programmes to mitigation of impacts on ecosystem services is provided below. 1. Implementation of the PARC Framework: Where the Project directly affects livelihood activities,

household or communal assets through land occupation and use a number of measures outlined in the Plan d’Action de Reinstallation et de Compensation (PARC) will be implemented. These are provided in greater detail in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land Based Livelihoods. The PARC Framework will guide the programme for Resettlement and Livelihood Restoration within both the Urban and Rural Planning and Employment Creation and Livelihoods themes, working in complement with programmes targeting non-resettled communities. Based on the assessed impacts and the broad entitlement principles, Project-affected people will typically be entitled to the following kinds of compensation and assistance: compensation for loss of land, crops, trees etc; compensation for structures (residential and commercial) and other immovable assets; compensation for loss of livelihood and livelihood restoration support; compensation and assistance for loss of common resources (such as fishing area, water resources,

forest) and dependent livelihoods; assistance for resettlement, relocation and rehabilitation; replacement and shifting of community assets; strengthening and rebuilding and / or restoration of community resources, assets and / or facilities; preferential employment and skill building support; and community development activities. A broad entitlement matrix has been developed indicating the options that will be available for different groups and types of impact. This is presented in Table 19.4 of Chapter 19: Land Use and Land Based Livelihoods. Where aspects of the PARC Framework address impacts on one ecosystem service in particular, these are discussed further in the relevant mitigation section of this chapter.

2. In-Migration Management: It is recognised that the Project may be in a position to significantly

influence and assist national and local authorities in managing the impacts of opportunistic in-migration occurring as a result of the mine. The growth of unplanned settlements and the major governance and natural resource challenges that these could bring will need to be planned for and managed proactively by government authorities to avoid wide-ranging negative impacts. The Project has developed an In-Migration plan to help mitigate the broad range of impacts associated with in-migration to the mine area. The plan is discussed in more detail in Chapter 18: In-Migration. It addresses the following objectives:

minimise in-migration as far as possible;

manage and direct the flow of in-migrants in accordance with regional planning objectives; and

implement mitigation measures to address the adverse environmental and social consequences, and

maximise the benefits of in-migration.

As discussed further under the development of Project Social Management Plans, the Project will undertake a series of in-migration studies to identify and prepare appropriate mitigation for areas with high levels of expected in-migration. A focus on identifying potential impacts on natural resources and associated ecosystem services as a result of population growth will be central to this effort.


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Some of the activities designed to direct the flow of migrants and manage their impacts on receiving communities include working closely with national, regional, local authorities, village leaders, and communities (as appropriate for the area of focus) to:

develop and implement a targeted communications plan in areas known to be potential sources of in-

migration and, using migrant networks, inform potential in-migrants of the scale and nature of opportunities, manage expectations and, where appropriate discourage them from moving to the Project area;

support regional development planning that encourages distribution of opportunities across a wider

area to avoid concentration of attraction at key Project locations; undertake urban planning and development in larger centres to accommodate in-migrants, in

complement with planning for Project employee housing and infrastructure; support development of village zoning plans for settlements at high risk from in-migration, to direct in-

migrant related development to defined areas where impacts will be minimised and to encourage local people to remain in their villages; and

explicitly include consideration of biodiversity and natural resource impacts of in-migration, and

integration of appropriate responses into the overall programme;

The full suite of in-migration measures is provided in Chapter 18: In-Migration. Despite these measures, it is anticipated that in-migration will be a challenge in the mine area. The growth of unplanned settlements and the major governance and natural resource challenges that these could bring will need to be planned for and managed proactively by government authorities to avoid wide-ranging negative impacts. Residual impact ratings on a number of priority ecosystem services reflect the uncertainty and challenges surrounding management of in-migration and the implications this could have for ecosystem services in the study area.

3. Agriculture and Food Security: The Agriculture and Food Security programme under the Employment

Creation and Livelihoods theme can be divided into three categories:

agriculture, fishing, and livestock support, which focusses on bolstering or diversifying local communities’ primary land-based livelihoods;

natural resources management, which supports sustainable natural resources management and

conservation; and food security, which aims to ensure, in partnership with government authorities, that foodstuffs remain

in adequate and accessible supply to local communities. Agriculture, Fishing, and Livestock Support

The Project has already begun to develop and support a number of focussed agricultural development and intensification activities near the mine, as noted in Chapter 15: Socio-Economic and Community Baseline. The Project will apply lessons learned and, where possible and practicable, continue to utilise partnerships established to date, to enhance and expand these activities or develop new activities suitable for identified community needs. With regards to agriculture, fishing, and livestock-breeding, the Project will: develop sustainable agricultural, fishing, and livestock-breeding programmes, as identified through

needs-based assessments and community consultation, that aim to diversify and increase production in the Project area through best practice techniques. Needs based assessments and community consultation with take into account production activities by men, women, and youth;

provide training to farmers, fishermen, herders, and other key producers as appropriate in targeted

locations to improve their technical capabilities and support the marketing and sale of produced goods;


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support access to equipment and other inputs (including through microfinance);

help establish market linkages between producers and potential customers, including the Project (eg

support for cooperatives, local market infrastructure, procurement contracts);

align agricultural, fishing, and livestock-breeding programmes with applicable conservation–based outcomes to support sustainable production; and

in the event of injury or mortality of livestock due to construction or operations, the Project will notify

nearby communities and provide appropriate compensation as determined by the PARC Framework or Grievance Procedure.

Natural Resource Management

Under this theme, the Project will undertake a number of mitigation measures that aim to maintain the value and functionality of provisioning services provided by farmed, wild and semi-wild flora and fauna in the mine study area.

To support sustainable natural resources management and conservation, the Project will:

develop, implement and monitor workforce codes of conduct for Project personnel regarding the

exploitation of natural resources;

consult communities regarding species and areas that are locally valued and on impacts to flora and fauna;

where it is safe and practical to do so, provide communities access to cleared timber;

design and implement an information and awareness programme regarding sustainable harvesting, grazing, and conservation of natural resources in partnership with relevant organisations where available and appropriate (eg Pic de Fon management plan stakeholders);

undertake appropriate interventions (eg nurseries), as identified in needs assessments, to replace lost

resources and to harvest and replant species of local significance, particularly medicinal species;

work with local communities on management of brush fires and forest fires;

explore alternative off-grid power provision (eg solar, wind) for employee housing and, where practicable, surrounding communities to reduce demand for wood for energy; and

through Project and participatory environmental monitoring, monitor pressure on natural resources used

by the community (eg firewood, bushmeat, wild plants). Capacity building for authorities, education campaigns and support to the local people would be provided to include education on threats to biodiversity from human activities and examples / case studies of coexistence between human activities and natural areas of habitat. The education, management and development programme would draw upon the model employed within the Pic de Fon Management Plan, taking account of lessons learned from periodic evaluation of the Plan and its implementation.

23.6.1.2 Stakeholder Engagement and Data Collection for Development of Social Management Plans As described above, Social Management Plans or programmes will provide the mechanism for implementing all of the social mitigation measures under the Project. As the initial step in development of most Social Management Plans, including those covering ecosystem service related mitigations, the Project will undertake targeted data collection and stakeholder engagement activities to refine the mitigation measures


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identified in this report. For a number of relevant services, this step will include identification of the use, importance and replaceability of ecosystem services at the village level. These activities will include:

Socio-Economic Surveys: These surveys, currently underway through the PARC Framework, will

collect detailed socio-economic data from households and settlements anticipated to be directly impacted by the Project and thus potentially experiencing economic and / or physical displacement. As discussed in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land Based Livelihoods, livelihoods linked to natural resources other than land, such as fishing, are considered for entitlements and in overall livelihood restoration under the PARC framework.

In-Migration Studies: These studies will collect socio-economic data within settlements anticipated to experience high levels of in-migration, with resulting indirect impacts on the community. Studies will focus on key adverse impacts associated with in-migration, such as pressures on land, land-based resources, water, and infrastructure. Where needed, information on the importance and replaceability of existing ecosystem services will be collected from stakeholders as part of this effort.

Stakeholder Engagement: The Project will continue to engage community and other stakeholders as part of the SEIA submission process and other Project activities, at which time it will collect further information related to mitigation development as appropriate.

Data collection and stakeholder engagement activities will be scheduled in advance of Project phase transitions (eg design to construction, construction to operation) to allow for the timely development of appropriate mitigation measures and the updating of Social Management Plans. Should the activities reveal distinct differences between communities, the Project will also consider the development of community-specific impact management plans.

In addition to the above, further data collection and monitoring of priority regulating and provisioning services such as freshwater provision and fire prevention will be undertaken during Detailed Design. The results of detailed hydrological assessments, water balance estimates and mapping of receptors will feed into mitigation measures for freshwater provision, agriculture and community health and safety (see Sections 23.6.6 and 23.6.13.6). 23.6.1.3 Environmental Management Framework As a counterpart to the SMF, the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) provides a structure for the detailed design and implementation of the Project’s environmental mitigation measures, which will be captured in a series of Environmental Management Plans and Procedures. A full discussion of the EMF is provided in Volume V: Social and Environmental Management Plan. The EMF groups environmental mitigation measures into a number of programmes under five themes: Land Use Stewardship, Biodiversity, Water, Mineral Waste, Other Emissions and Non-Mineral Waste. For the most part, the ecosystem-service related mitigation measures addressed by these themes tend to relate to only one or two ecosystem services and are therefore discussed in more detail under the relevant mitigation sections that follow. Measures regarding induced access are an exception to this, as they potentially influence impacts on a number of ecosystem services, most notably bushmeat, medicinal plants, timber, firewood and charcoal and the non-use value placed on the existence of habitats and species. Minimising Impacts from Induced Access: In addition to the in-migration measures to be implemented under the Social Management Framework, a number of measures will be put in place to explicitly manage impacts from induced access in the mine area. Specific measures related to bushmeat hunting are detailed further in Section 23.6.13.1. The framework for control of potential third-party impacts in the Pic de Fon CF has been put in place through the development and ongoing implementation of the Pic de Fon Management Plan, described in detail in Chapter 12: Biodiversity. This has established co-management of the area in which the Simandou mine and much of its infrastructure are situated, and the Project has already made a commitment to continued support to implementation of the Plan and the institutions involved in co-management, throughout mine life.


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Furthermore, as described in Chapter 12: Biodiversity, the Project will focus development of the mine to the east of the Simandou Ridge, and will support the objective of restricting access to the Protection Zone on the western flanks of the Range. In addition to the measures outlined in the Pic de Fon MP, the Project will consider developing partnerships with government agencies, local government authorities and NGOs to deliver a multi-faceted education, management and development programme aiming to establish sustainable use of local natural resources while maintaining livelihoods within the wider area around the mine. It would be tailored to the specific social and ecological conditions of the area (at an appropriate scale to be agreed with stakeholders). Further details are provided in Chapter 12: Biodiversity. In the longer term, further pressure may be exerted on the natural resource base upon decommissioning and closure of a project, if alternative economic activities and livelihoods have not been developed to replace economic activity related to the project. Consequently, as part of closure planning, the Project will develop partnerships with local government and local communities, and consider further support and contribution to capacity building measures and development of alternative livelihoods to mitigate potential impacts of Project closure. 23.6.2 Mitigation of Impacts on Cultivated Crops 23.6.2.1 Mitigation of Direct Impacts from Land Occupation All Project infrastructure will, as far as possible, be sited to avoid, or otherwise maximise distance from, highly productive agricultural land such as rice fields and land used for other livelihood activities. Where the mine directly affects livelihood activities through temporary or permanent losses of cropland due to land occupation, the Project will follow procedures outlined in the Plan d’Action de Reinstallation et de Compensation (PARC) Framework. As described in Section 23.6.1.1, under the PARC Framework the Project will aim to fully restore and where possible improve the livelihoods of economically or physically displaced households. Proposed entitlements for lost agricultural land are separated into village and / or general community land, host community land, lineage land and individual or family land. In the case of individual or family land, replacement land of similar size and potential will be allocated through the traditional lineage land allocation mechanisms within the boundaries of the village territory. Cash compensation will be provided for any improvements on the land, including clearing, irrigation systems and ploughing. Should there be a lack of suitable replacement land and unless otherwise agreed with the community and affected people, the Project will provide cash compensation for land and improvements on land at replacement value and / or livelihood restoration assistance (such as preference in employment, skill building support). For more information on compensation measures under the PARC, see the detailed entitlement matrix in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land Based Livelihoods. In addition to the PARC, a number of other livelihood support programmes will be applied under the Agriculture and Food Security Programme, to address both direct and indirect impacts from the mine (see Section 23.6.1.1). Finally, the Project will consult communities, including sedentary communities and transhumant pastoralists who use the area to identify all access routes that will be impacted and avoid disrupting these routes where possible. 23.6.2.2 Mitigation of Direct Impacts from Changes in Water Availability, Dust and Soil Quality As discussed further in Section 23.6.6, mitigation of impacts on the surface water flow regime from dewatering will be achieved through the Mine Water Management System (MWMS). This system will collect groundwater from dewatering and storm water runoff from the pit area and distribute it via a pipeline system to supplement flows in streams affected by dewatering. Catchments where a moderate to critical impact is predicted will receive environmental flow compensation that will allow baseflows to recover to at least 95% of their natural levels. For catchments where there is established riparian agriculture bordering the mountain-fed streams that are affected by dewatering, the Simandou Mine Water Management System (MWMS) will include flow monitoring to determine whether there are any noticeable effects on early wet season flows used for irrigation. This is not considered likely, but if such effects are found then the allocation of dewatering discharges within the system will be reassessed and provision made for agricultural water users


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accordingly. In addition to the above, the mine will avoid diversion of existing irrigation channels that sustain irrigated agriculture. Where this is not possible, new irrigation channels will be constructed that improve, but as a minimum restore, irrigation to these areas. As described in Chapter 9: Air Quality, dust suppression measures will be implemented along unpaved roads where they pass within the vicinity of towns, villages, settlements and cultivated land. These include: water sprays will be used where excessive dust levels are predicted or reported; and

if necessary, further treatment or binding of road surfaces will be considered if high traffic flows are

expected for long periods and people will be exposed to unacceptably high levels of dust. In order to minimise the sterilisation of soil resources during construction and operation of the mine the area of land to be occupied for the mine project will be kept to the minimum necessary for the works. A Land Use Management Plan will be designed and implemented to minimise impacts on soil resources. Examples of measures include: topsoil stripping, stockpiling and management will be planned prior to ground disturbance works commencing; topsoil (and subsoil where deemed necessary) will be salvaged for re-use; soil resources will be re-used as soon as possible after stripping by re-spreading on adjacent areas or stored in segregated stockpiles for later use in site rehabilitation. The full suite of measures is described in Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste. In addition, a Mineral Waste Management Plan will be implemented to control erosion on waste emplacements (further details are provided in Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste). 23.6.2.3 Indirect Impacts from In-Migration Mitigation measures related to management of in-migration and unplanned settlement growth are described in Section 23.6.1.1 under the In-Migration Plan. In addition, Project investment in agricultural support programmes in the area of the mine are discussed in the same section under the Agriculture and Food Security theme of the SMF. Despite these measures, it is recognised that the Project will not have full control over unplanned settlement growth and subsequent impacts on agriculture. 23.6.2.4 Residual Impacts The mitigation measures to be undertaken by the Project will reduce direct impacts from land occupation to minor, maintaining the ecosystem service in most cases and compensating for any losses through the PARC process and through the development of alternative livelihood strategies. Impacts from changes in water availability and soil quality area likewise reduced to minor following mitigation. Impacts from dust deposition will be not significant. Finally, where the Project provides alternate livelihood activities and / or contributes to increased agricultural production through extension programmes, residual impacts on cultivated crops may be positive (see Chapter 19: Land Use and Land Based Livelihoods). The Project’s efforts to work with local communities and authorities to manage in-migration and settlement growth can be expected to reduce the magnitude of indirect impacts from in-migration but not eliminate them entirely. Ongoing and planned efforts by the Project to invest in agricultural productivity should help to further offset the negative impacts of in-migration, but only if the scale of migration is managed to a reasonable level. Otherwise, the promise of productive land and agricultural extension programmes will continue to feed a cycle of opportunistic growth in the area. As a result of the uncertainty around the extent and management of the population influx into the mine study area, residual impacts on cultivated crops due to in-migration are conservatively assessed as moderate during all mine phases. 23.6.3 Mitigation of Impacts on Livestock 23.6.3.1 Mitigation of Direct Impacts from Occupation of land The Project will avoid acquiring or restricting access to important pastureland wherever possible are incorporated into the impact rating. Where direct impacts on pasture land through land occupation are unavoidable, the Project will follow procedures outlined in the PARC Framework. Replacement land of


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similar size and potential will be allocated through the traditional community land allocation mechanisms within the boundaries of the village territory or as agreed with the impacted and host groups and communities, respectively. A detailed entitlement matrix describing compensation measures under the PARC is provided in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land-Based Livelihoods. In addition to the PARC, a number of other livelihood support programmes will be applied under the Agriculture and Food Security Programme, to address both direct and indirect impacts from the mine (see Section 23.6.1.1).

As part of the Pic de Fon Management Plan, the Project, in conjunction with its partners, will continue to implement grazing management measures in the classified forest mining area. Finally, the Project will consult communities, including sedentary communities and transhumant pastoralists who use the area to identify all access routes that will be impacted and avoid disrupting these routes where possible. 23.6.3.2 Mitigation of Indirect Impacts from In-Migration As described in Section 23.6.1, the Project will undertake a number of mitigation measures in collaboration with local authorities to help minimise and control unplanned growth of settlements. In particular, careful planning and implementation of zoning rules for land use will help to minimise the encroachment of residential and cultivated land on pasture areas. In addition, livestock farming programmes will be developed and implemented under the Agriculture and Food Security Programme to support livestock farming in the mine area. 23.6.3.3 Residual Impacts The mitigation measures to be undertaken by the Project will reduce direct impacts on livestock to the level of minor during all phases, maintaining the basic functionality of the ecosystem service. Indirect impacts from changes in freshwater availability were assessed as not significant prior to mitigation. Efforts to develop livestock programmes and manage settlement growth are expected to bring residual impacts from in-migration to the level of minor significance during all phases; as discussed further in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land Based Livelihoods, there is the potential for positive residual impacts following the implementation of programmes under the Agriculture and Food Security Programme in the mine area. 23.6.4 Mitigation of Impacts on Firewood and Charcoal 23.6.4.1 Mitigation of Indirect Impacts from In-Migration Identification of important community resources under the PARC process will include consultation with stakeholders to identify the location of important firewood collection areas in order to fully define potential impacts from the mine. Mitigation for short- to medium-term losses of access to fuelwood collection areas will include providing access to alternative sources of fuelwood. The Project will also explore alternative off-grid power provision (eg solar, wind) for employee housing and, where practicable, surrounding communities to reduce demand for wood for energy. Since the majority of impacts on fuelwood collection are anticipated to be caused by in-migration, mitigation by the Project will include implementation of the In-Migration Plan and natural resource management measures under the Agriculture and Food Security Programme (see Section 26.6.1.1). As part of the development of these plans, stakeholder engagement and in-migration studies will help the Project to both determine appropriate mitigation measures and facilitate community acceptance of solutions for difficult natural resource management issues. Through Project and participatory environmental monitoring, the Project will help communities to monitor pressure on natural resources used by the community (eg firewood, bushmeat, wild plants). 23.6.4.2 Residual Impacts Direct impacts from mine activities were assessed as minor prior to mitigation and no additional reduction in significance through mitigation is anticipated. Through the implementation of the mitigation measures


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discussed above, the Project will aim to minimise negative impacts on wood for fuel and charcoal resulting from in-migration. However, because aspects of in-migration will be outside of the Project’s control and difficult to predict, residual indirect impacts on firewood and charcoal are conservatively estimated to be moderate. 23.6.5 Mitigation of Impacts on Non-Timber Forest Products 23.6.5.1 Mitigation of Direct Impacts from Occupation of Land The Project will work with forestry authorities and undertake ongoing consultation at the village level to identify and attempt to avoid direct impacts on key plant species utilised for non-timber products (for example, raffia palm). In the event that full avoidance of impacts on collection of non-timber forest products is not possible, compensation will be provided under the PARC Framework. Loss of timber and non-timber products will be included in community level compensation for losses of access to land in forest and savanna areas. 23.6.5.2 Mitigation of Indirect Impacts from In-Migration As is the case for firewood and several other forest-based resources, in-migration is expected to be the source of the majority of impacts on non-timber forest products. Mitigation by the Project will include implementation of the In-Migration Plan and natural resource management measures under the Agriculture and Food Security Programme. Overexploited resources such as raffia palm will be targeted in natural resource management efforts, with a focus on involving local authorities and communities in sustainable resource planning and monitoring, 23.6.5.3 Residual Impacts Following implementation of the measures above, residual direct impacts are assessed as not significant for all non-timber forest products except raffia palm, which will be reduced to minor. Given the uncertainties around the extent and management of in-migration, residual impacts from in-migration on most non-timber forest products are assessed as minor; residual indirect impacts on raffia palm are assessed as moderate for all phases. 23.6.6 Mitigation of Impacts on Natural Medicines As is the case for several other provisioning services, the Project will undertake additional stakeholder engagement and needs assessments in villages where significant impacts on medicinal plants are anticipated. This information will help to determine the importance of medicinal plant collection for local communities and to design appropriate mitigation. These findings will feed into the PARC process and the in-migration management process, as appropriate, to determine the mitigation measures that are best suited to community needs (see Section 23.6.1.1 for more detail). The PARC Framework provides compensation, including replacement of lost resources, for any impacts resulting from temporary or permanent land occupation by the mine. Where appropriate, this process will be managed through consultation with local healers in order to identify and replace any important medicinal resources lost. Mitigation of potential impacts from in-migration will be implemented through the In-migration Plan and through the Agriculture and Food Security Programme. As described in Section 23.6.1.1, measures such as planting nurseries, support for sustainable resource use planning and provision of improved access to alternative natural or pharmaceutical resources will be applied as determined through the stakeholder engagement process. 23.6.6.1 Residual Impacts Following implementation of mitigation, direct impacts from the mine on medicinal plant resources are expected to be not significant to minor, depending upon the site. Following implementation of the


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mitigation measures above, residual impacts from in-migration are conservatively assessed as minor to moderate during construction and operation depending upon the area, level of anticipated in-migration and importance of the resource to the local community 23.6.7 Mitigation of Impacts on Freshwater 23.6.7.1 Mitigation of Direct Impacts on Freshwater Quantity The mitigation of impacts on the surface water flow regime from dewatering will be achieved through the Mine Water Management System (MWMS). This system will collect groundwater from dewatering and storm water runoff from the pit area and distribute it via a pipeline system to supplement flows in streams affected by dewatering. It is anticipated that the water quality from dewatering will be similar to that from existing springs and so it will most likely be possible to discharge it to streams with minimal (if any) pre-treatment. This of course will be subject to meeting the water quality standards defined in Chapter 6: Water Environment, Table 6.12. However, pit runoff will need to be diverted to sediment control systems for treatment prior to discharge. The final design of the MWMS will only be possible once the numerical groundwater modelling study has been completed during the detailed engineering phase of the Project, when detailed dewatering plans and rates are available. However, the preliminary results shown in Chapter 6: Water Environment indicate that there should be sufficient volumes of water available from dewatering to compensate for the reduction in baseflow in all of the significantly affected streams around the mine site throughout mine life. There are some important assumptions behind this conclusion as follows: that the dewatering surpluses for Ouéléba and Pic de Fon will be managed such that there are no

additional pressures on community water users (surface or otherwise) from the mine;

that the MWMS will be designed to discharge flows to all significantly affected streams;

that advanced dewatering will be implemented on Ouéléba; and

that the environmental flow requirements for affected streams are in some cases set lower than existing natural baseflow conditions depending upon catchment sensitivity (see discussion in Chapter 6).

Chapter 6: Water Environment provides a detailed discussion of how the MWMS will address the points above. Mitigation measures specific to impacts on community water use are discussed in more detail below. Sufficient flows will be maintained at surface water supply points in high community value catchments to

meet current (and where appropriate projected future) use. For the current assessment, all catchments that contain a surface water supply have been conservatively assigned a ‘high’ value, regardless of the relative importance of the surface water supply to the different communities. During detailed design, a water use audit will be conducted at each supply point to determine more precisely the value of the surface water supply to each community. Values will be assigned based upon current use (and where appropriate projected future use), the availability of alternative supplies, and the assigned value may vary on a seasonal basis.

If and when a flow ‘deficit’ occurs in the MWMS such that all of the above compensation flow and project water supply requirements cannot be met by the dewatering supply (see Section 6.4.3), then the minimum compensation flow thresholds will be re-set to 70% of natural baseflow conditions for those catchments with low or negligible value.

The compensation flow required to achieve these minimum flows will initially be determined for each stream and for each month and year of mine life based upon the final groundwater modelling results (ie equivalent to the estimated reduction in flow due to dewatering). However, these flows will be refined if necessary based upon the monitoring of actual catchment flow responses once the dewatering programme has commenced.


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In addition, the MWMS will aim to re-instate a passive post closure flow (and water quality) regime to mimic pre-mining conditions where feasible (details provided in Chapter 6: Water Environment). After mine closure and allowing sufficient time for flow equilibrium to re-establish, the preliminary model results suggest there should be no requirement to mitigate for baseflows in the majority of streams flowing from the mining area. Most will remain relatively unaffected, or are predicted to recover to their pre-mining levels or thereabouts (and in some cases above). The notable exceptions to this are on Ouéléba, where the model currently predicts a shift in groundwater flows away from the Kinyeko / Mala and Miya catchments in the northwest and northeast and towards the Woron catchment that flows to the southwest, and the Western Spur catchment to the northwest of Pic de Fon. In the case of Ouéléba, the impacts will be primarily felt by surface water users in Traoréla and Nionsomoridou, and in the latter case, there are likely to be additional pressures on water supplies due to the proximity of the rail and the influx of migrants to the area due to increased economic activity. For this reason, the Project will work with the authorities in both villages to identify and develop a sustainable long term water supply strategy that is less reliant on surface water supplies (see above). As discussed previously, further groundwater modelling and a more site specific evaluation of potential impacts of flow reductions on biodiversity and communities in the mine area will be carried out during Detailed Design and operation to determine the need and (if necessary) inform the development of post-closure mitigation measures for other catchments, including the Western Spur. Depending upon actual progress with the mine plan and dewatering, supplementary water supplies may be required for the mine project during discrete periods. Their development would include a hydrological assessment for each proposed source, and a long term sustainable yield assessment, with field testing where appropriate, to guarantee any existing patterns of use by downstream communities. The rights to access any supplies will also be negotiated with government agencies and local communities as appropriate. As discussed in Chapter 6: Water Environment, a detailed backfill aquifer recharge plan will also be developed and tested using the groundwater model at the detailed design stage to ensure that there are no adverse impacts on the ability of the MWMS to meet the baseflow compensation requirements. This is likely to require the utilisation of ‘surplus’ wet season flows to recharge the aquifers wherever possible, and to also maximise the use of any excess dewatering flows during peak periods of dewatering. In addition to the above, the Project will also work with project affected communities surrounding the mine to support them in securing safe and sustainable water supplies for their inhabitants throughout mine life, including consideration of requirements arising from in-migration. In some cases this may involve providing direct support for the construction of local wells and / or water treatment facilities and, where appropriate, for improved sanitation to address health and hygiene issues associated with safe water use. Finally, the Project will also seek to implement technically and financially feasible measures to minimise use of raw water wherever possible by: removing or reducing the need to use water by changing designs and processes; monitoring water use; using recycled water if quality permits; using dewatering water and rainwater if quality permits; and using other sources of poorer quality water in preference to higher quality supplies. 23.6.7.2 Mitigation of Direct Impacts on Water Quality For the most part, general construction related water quality risks will be minimised by the effective implementation of standard requirements for all construction within or in close proximity to surface water bodies and / or water supply wells. These are described in further detail in Chapter 6: Water Environment, and include standard measures such as avoidance of surface water bodies wherever possible, strict procedures for in-stream construction works, keeping exposed surfaces to a minimum and re-vegetating and/or stabilising immediately following works; design and maintenance of sediment and erosion control measures designed to minimise surcharging under normal flood conditions and other examples of best-


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practice. In addition, an Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Plan will be developed and implemented detailing how the Project will minimise the likelihood and consequences of accidental spills. As described in Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste, a number of erosion control measures will be put in place during construction and operation, reducing impacts on turbidity and TSS in surface water bodies. Measures in the Land Use Management Plan with a particular focus on minimising erosion near freshwater bodies include: avoiding works within 50 m of a river or stream unless necessary for crossing works; scheduling works with high erosion potential to avoid periods of intensive rainfall where possible; diversion of surface run-off from exposed areas; and use of storm water and sediment retention ponds to reduce erosion and sediment loads in discharges. An additional list of erosion control measures to be applied across activities for the mine is discussed in Section 23.6.11 and in Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste. During mine operation, all of the dewatering discharges, in-pit runoff and waste facility effluents will be managed or treated to meet the water quality and effluent standards shown in Table 6.12 of Chapter 6: Water Environment. Recognising that communities utilise surface water for potable supply without prior treatment, WHO drinking water guideline values (or baseline, where greater) will be met in those receiving waters that are used by communities downstream of the mining operations. This applies to the majority of catchments that will receive water from the mine operations. The WHO parameters will be measured at a suitable location upstream of the point of first use in each receiving catchment. Further detail on mitigation measures to meet IFC and WHO guidelines, including development and monitoring of water quality standards and separate measures for managing and treating (as needed) worker camp discharges, dewatering discharges and in-pit storm runoff is provided in Chapter 6: Water Environment. Finally, a series of sediment control systems are under consideration for managing runoff from waste rock emplacements and acid rock drainage to meet the water quality guidelines indicated above. These are described in the water environment chapter, and will be further researched and developed during Detailed Design. 23.6.7.3 Mitigation of Indirect Impacts from In-Migration The implementation of the In-Migration Plan as described in Section 23.6.1.1 will play an important role in managing increased pressure on water resources. In addition, increased demand for water in local communities will be addressed under the SMF through the Infrastructure Programme under the Urban and Rural Planning theme. The infrastructure programme will include surveys of affected settlements to gather detailed information on water sources and water needs, developing a consultation programme to identify preferred water infrastructure at the village level and partnering with local authorities and relevant organisations where available and appropriate (eg donors, civil society and NGOs) to facilitate delivery of sufficient supply and adequate quality of water to affected settlements. More detail on the programme is provided in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land Based Livelihoods. 23.6.7.4 Residual Impacts With the implementation of the MWMS and erosion regulation measures as described above and in more detail in Chapter 6: Water Environment and Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste, the predicted impacts on stream baseflows due to dewatering during operation should be reduced to minor in all catchments. In particular, those catchments where a moderate to critical impact is predicted will receive environmental flow compensation that will allow baseflows to recover to at least 95% of their natural levels. The residual impacts following mine closure are also predicted to be minor almost in all cases, with effective implementation of mitigation for community water supplies in Nionsomoridou and Traoréla. Higher residual impacts are anticipated in some catchments with implications for biodiversity and ecological health (but no community users); these are highlighted in Chapter 6: Water Environment and Chapter 12: Biodiversity. The significance of impacts on water supply due to project demands will be minor following the implementation of mitigation measures. The potential significance of impacts on surface water quality will be reduced through the mitigation measures described above to the level of moderate during mine operation and minor following mine closure. Impacts on erosion will be reduced to the level of minor impacts during all phases. As noted in


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Chapter 6: Water Environment, the moderate rating for water quality impacts overall is retained due to the size and duration of the Project and the likelihood that despite all of the safeguards, issues may arise from time to time with the possibility that control measures may on occasion only be installed after the event. The in-migration management measures and community support programmes described above can be expected to help reduce the magnitude of impacts from in-migration over the life of the mine and in some cases improve the available water supply. Residual impacts on freshwater supply due to in-migration are therefore assessed as minor with the possibility that this impact may become positive. 23.6.8 Mitigation of Impacts on Spiritual and Religious Sites 23.6.8.1 Mitigation of Direct Impacts from Mine Activities As described in Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage, a project wide site reconnaissance and local consultation process is now being undertaken and will include identification of additional LCH sites and collection of further information of known sites. Specific additional LCH topics to be investigated in the mine areas include: identification of new LCH sites within the mine study area; and

establishing additional details about traditional uses of LCH sites that will assist in the Community

Department’s management of potential impacts, such as the role of the villages as “keepers of the mountain” and the significance of water bodies as potential sacred areas or as the home of water spirits.

Many LCH sites certainly exist in the mine area but have not yet have been identified by the Project. Pre-construction mitigation will involve community engagement to identify additional unknown sites within the Project area of influence. Community engagement will focus not only on widely known LCH sites, but will also engage sensitive groups such as religious minorities, women’s groups or secret societies, who many not wish to share the exact location of their sacred sites. The strategy for mitigating impacts on LCH sites is provided in detail in Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage. A summary of these steps is provided below.

1. Consultation with affected groups (local community, women’s groups, men’s groups, traditional authority

figures, different religious and ethnic groups) conducted by the Community Department to determine significance, function, access and use of the site during detailed design planning and continuing during construction. The Community Department, working in conjunction with the Working Group, will engage affected groups to develop appropriate mitigation and negotiate compensation if necessary in accordance with the guidance outlined in PS8.

2. Where LCH resources may be lost or damaged by Project activities, the Project will consult with and gain the consent of affected communities and site users before proceeding with any non-avoidance mitigation. If possible and acceptable to affected people, natural and man-made objects and moveable spiritual sites will be relocated to avoid impacts, using approaches for moving and placing objects that are sensitive to local wishes and traditional practice.

3. Where relocation is not possible, or where displacement of a feature will result in the loss of some of its cultural value or functionality, consideration will also be given to the need for compensation. The Project Resettlement and Compensation Framework (PARC), as described in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land-Based Livelihoods, will also include provision for displacement of features of cultural importance

Mitigation of risks to living cultural heritage sites outside the immediate mine footprint will be undertaken as follows. Sites near the perimeter of the works will be clearly marked and if necessary fenced to prevent

encroachment by Project personnel and activities and to protect them from accidental disturbance. All Project personnel working in the area will be made aware of their importance and any actions needed to


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avoid impacts. Sites will be inspected regularly to confirm no inadvertent or unreported damage has occurred and to identify any risk of impact from the Project.

The exact location and significance of any sites will only be communicated to the minimum number of people required to ensure effective protection of the area.

If a cultural heritage site is damaged it will be treated as an incident, if any features are lost or damaged

a mitigation strategy will be further developed under the direction of the Cultural Heritage Working Group. Any grievances related to impacts on cultural heritage will be managed through the Project Grievance Procedure. Further details are provided in Chapter 12: Cultural Heritage.

No instances of disruption to site access or ambience of living cultural heritage sites have been identified in the mine area to date. However, a range of mitigation measures applicable to both LCH and archaeological sites have been developed and are described in Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage. Potential impacts from increased fire frequency were the only regulating service identified with potential impacts on cultural heritage sites in the mine area. Mitigation to maintain natural fire regulation services in the mine area are described in Section 23.6.13.6. Through implementation of these measures, the Project will work with communities to reduce the number of fires resulting from human activity and help communities to maintain and improve natural fire breaks near villages and other important areas, such as cultural heritage sites. 23.6.8.2 Residual Impacts LCH sites expected to be impacted by direct physical encroachment include four sacred sites: Siyatouro (CH-53), Wereba (CH-56), Dalaro (CH-64) and Samakoukaba (CH-67), where one minor and three moderate residual impacts are expected (see Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage). Samakoukaba or Elephant Head Rock (CH-67), is a sacred rock located at the centre of the planned mine pit at Pic de Fon. Consultation with local residents of the nearby village of Moribadou indicated that the rock could be moved to another area as long as proper ceremonies were performed at the time of the relocation. The possibility of relocation further reduces the residual impact, since this site will not be destroyed or damaged by Project activities. As described in Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage, preconstruction stakeholder identification and consultation will enable understanding of locations, boundaries, use, access and importance of LCH sites not identified to date, and should allow development of appropriate mitigation in consultation with the affected communities. With appropriate responses in terms of avoidance, relocation and compensation, residual impacts should be no more than moderate for most LCH sites. Measures undertaken to reduce incidences of brushfire and maintain natural regulation of fires are expected to result in residual impacts of minor during construction and operation and not significant for decommissioning and closure. 23.6.9 Mitigation of Impacts on Traditional Practices 23.6.9.1 Mitigation of Direct Impacts from Mine Activities The primary mitigation measures undertaken to maintain the cultural value of traditional practices will be to maintain the value and function of the provisioning services that tend to be utilised in traditional activities. These measures are described in the relevant sections of this chapter, referenced in the list of services below. crop cultivation (Section 23.6.2); livestock herding (Section 23.6.3); production of crafts from non-timber forest products (Section 23.6.5); use of natural medicines (Section 23.6.6). hunting of wild bushmeat (Section 23.6.13.1); and


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fishing (Section 23.6.13.2).

To minimise indirect impacts from in-migration, the Project will undertake measures relating to in-migration and natural resource management as described in Section 23.6.1. In addition, as with other traditional areas of knowledge and practice, potential impacts on traditional practices will also be addressed through ongoing community dialogue and good faith negotiations with affected people to plan appropriate and feasible mitigation measures. As a result of these consultations, the Community Team will be able to design and implement programmes and partnerships to promote and enhance the conservation of intangible cultural heritage. In this process the Project recognises that communities may choose voluntarily to abandon some traditional practices as a part of normal cultural change and economic development. A more detailed discussion of mitigation of impacts on intangible cultural heritage, which includes the value placed on traditional practices, is provided in Chapter 13: Cultural Heritage. 23.6.9.2 Residual Impacts It is anticipated that some impacts on provisioning services, particularly those impacted by in-migration, will not be fully mitigated. Residual impacts on traditional cultural practices cannot be determined at this stage, but the aim will be to avoid significant impacts where possible and mitigate remaining impacts so that they are no more than minor or moderate. 23.6.10 Mitigation of Impacts on Regulation of Surface Water Flows As an intermediate service supporting freshwater provision, mitigation measures for impacts on regulation of surface water flows are provided in Sections 23.6.2, 23.6.6 and 23.6.13.2. In particular, Section 23.6.6 discusses the specific mitigations planned to address changes in baseflow during construction, operation and post-closure. Residual impacts are assessed for the relevant end-use services, listed above. Mitigation of changes in baseflows as they relate to habitats and biodiversity are assessed as part of the initial topic-area assessment in Chapter 6: Water Environment. To mitigate against impacts on local drainage patterns as a result of construction of cross-drainage infrastructure, the Project will design structures and drainage systems to meet the following requirements: drainage crossings, control structures and culverts will be designed to transmit a specific storm event

that will consider the consequences of failure;

cross-drainage structures will be located so that backwater conditions during flooding will not impact on any village housing or infrastructure;

embankments and cross-drainage arrangements will retain seasonal drainage pathways and water level

profiles in wetland / floodplain areas that are of significant ecological value, or are used by communities for recession or wetland-based agriculture;

all drainage structures and sediment and erosion control measures will be inspected and maintained on

a regular basis, including clearance of channels or silt traps during the wet seasons. Given the high rainfall intensities experienced in most project areas these sediment control measures will be engineered and maintained to minimise the chance of failure under normal flood conditions; and

disturbance of river or stream banks will be kept to the minimum necessary and where required will be carefully planned to minimise any potential disruption to existing drainage patterns and disturbance of riparian vegetation.

23.6.10.1 Residual Impacts With implementation of the mitigation measures described above, impacts on drainage and flood patterns as a result of mine infrastructure will be minor during construction and operation of the mine.


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23.6.11 Mitigation of Impacts of Erosion 23.6.11.1 Mitigation of Direct Impacts As described in Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste, a Land Use Management Plan will be developed by the Project before the start of construction, setting out land use zones and management objectives for all land used by the Project, how land disturbed by the Project will be rehabilitated after construction and detailing how progressive rehabilitation of the mined area will be carried out. The full suite of erosion management measures are provided in Chapter 5: Geology, Soils and Mineral Waste. Some of the measures relevant to working near unstable or steep slopes include: avoiding unnecessary disturbance of stable surfaces; avoiding unnecessary clearance of vegetation; locating temporary construction areas away from land susceptible to erosion; stabilising exposed surfaces using controls such as re-vegetation; scheduling works with high erosion potential to avoid periods of intensive rainfall wherever possible; and rehabilitating non-working disturbed areas as soon as possible after completion of works. In addition to the above, erosion control measures near freshwater bodies are discussed in Section 23.6.6. 23.6.11.2 Residual Impacts Through the implementation of the measures listed above, the Project will avoid or restore erosion regulation functions along catchments and slopes over the lifetime of the mine. The resulting impact is minor over the course of construction and operation and not significant following closure. 23.6.12 Mitigation of Impacts on Disease Regulation 23.6.12.1 Mitigation of Direct and Indirect Impacts Mitigation of impacts on natural disease regulation will focus on preventing the creation of additional breeding habitat by the mine and managing in-migration and unplanned settlement growth. The cross-cutting in-migration measures described in Section 23.6.1 will be relevant for managing increased pressure on protective vegetation located close to settlements. In addition, the following measures will be adopted to target creation of breeding habitat (see Chapter 21: Community Health, Safety and Security for more detail). The Project will implement measures to reduce the presence of standing water onsite through

environmental controls and source reduction to avoid the creation of new breeding grounds.

If warranted, based on entomological surveillance, undertake larviciding.

The Project will maintain the current workplace malaria and vector control programmes and extend and modify these as appropriate throughout the life of the Project.

The Project will monitor the incidence of malaria using available data most notably the number of

workforce cases that occur. In addition to the above measures targeting disease regulation by local ecosystems, the Project will continue to implement measures to reduce the potential for mosquito-human interactions at worker accommodation, office space and other buildings. The Project will work with relevant partners (health authorities, NGOs, development agencies) to extend its existing community based malaria and vector control activities to additional communities prior to the commencement of construction and continue to implement such programmes throughout the life of the Project (see Chapter 20: Community Health, Safety and Security for more detail).


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23.6.12.2 Residual Impacts The implementation of the above mitigation should reduce direct and indirect impacts from in-migration on disease regulation to not significant for all phases of the mine. The additional malaria risk awareness programmes should ultimately result in a moderate benefit to beneficiaries (communities and workers). As described in Chapter 21: Community Health, Safety and Security, while it is anticipated that cases of malaria will continue to occur around the mine site it is expected that the overall burden of disease associated with malaria will decline with benefits for co-morbidity with other diseases such as anaemia helping to contribute to an overall improvement in health. 23.6.13 Mitigation of Impacts on Non-Priority Ecosystem Services 23.6.13.1 Bushmeat As described in Chapter 12: Biodiversity, the development and implementation of mitigation measures to manage bushmeat hunting and wildlife trade require the development of actions in consultation and partnership with a range of stakeholders. As a result this will be a continuing process throughout the Detailed Design, construction, operational and decommissioning phases of the mine. The Pic de Fon Management Plan and Hunters’ Confederation (see Chapter 12: Biodiversity) has established a foundation for the control of bushmeat hunting within the Pic de Fon CF, and early data suggest that hunting has subsequently declined. With the scheduled start of construction at the mine and other components of the Simandou Project later in 2012, bushmeat hunting management will be extended over the entire Project area, and developed mitigation measures will be outlined in two documents, both of which will be developed with input from appropriate experts: a Bushmeat Management Plan (addressing matters under the direct management control of the

Project); and

a Bushmeat and Wildlife Trade Strategy, involving multiple stakeholders. Despite protection in place from the Hunters’ Confederation and Pic de Fon Management Plan initiatives, it is likely that in-migration and the pressures of induced access will further stimulate the demand for bushmeat, both for domestic consumption and for the bushmeat trade. A number of measures will be put in place by the Project to meet the objectives of: not contributing to further expansion of bushmeat hunting beyond its already unsustainable levels; and not providing a stimulus to the commercial trade of bushmeat, live animals or animal parts. Since bushmeat hunting is not a sustainable ecosystem service, the overarching goal will be to minimise negative impacts on beneficiaries (eg through provision of support for alternative livelihoods and alternative protein sources) rather than to maintain the functionality of the ecosystem service. A summary of the measures being considered by the Project is provided below, with the full suite of measures provided in more detail in Chapter 12: Biodiversity. Additional actions may be identified through expert input and monitoring feedback. The Project will establish partnerships with national and local government to support policy, legislation

and enforcement measures and to evaluate options for control measures, supported by the active involvement of local communities and NGOs during inception and implementation. Such partnerships have already started to be developed through the Pic de Fon CF Management Plan.

The Project will develop and support provision of alternative livelihoods, extending as appropriate from

the work already being done at the mine site. Alternative livelihoods could include agriculture, eco-guards to patrol and control bushmeat hunting, conservation workers and small scale local sustainable craft industries, most of which have already been developed in the immediate vicinity of the Pic de Fon CF.


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The Project will consider supporting the development and implementation of restrictions on hunting by working with partners to implement the following measures: promotion of the use of hunting permits to facilitate sustainable hunting by local people; promotion of strict bans on hunting of high value species; development of provision of alternative protein sources; development of provision of alternative livelihoods and development of policy; capacity building and development of legislation and enforcement measures in partnership with local and national government, local communities and NGOs; training and development of eco-guards in partnership with local and national government, local communities and NGOs; and community education to inform the purpose and importance of each of the measures to prevent unsustainable hunting.

The Bushmeat Management Plan will include the following mitigation measures: project personnel will be strictly forbidden from engaging in hunting, selling, transporting or purchasing

bushmeat, live wild animals or animal parts during work hours or within project work areas or facilities; inspections of work areas and Project vehicles to verify compliance; firearms and snares will be prohibited in all work areas and accommodation; induction training will be provided to all Project and contractors’ personnel will include a bushmeat

component, emphasising the Project’s strict prohibition on hunting and any consumption of bushmeat in any areas under the control of the Project;

transportation of bushmeat along the railway will be controlled by means of: recruitment, training and deployment of ecoguards (in partnership with appropriate government

agencies); spot searches in all areas and facilities controlled by the Project; a prohibition on staff allowing or facilitating transport via train or other Project vehicle; on project-controlled access roads through use of gates, ecoguards, or curfews as appropriate; and on non-project controlled roads though collaboration with, and support to, local government enforcement

officers, including capacity building, funding and training. In addition, the Project will implement the series of cross-cutting in-migration and natural resource management measures described in Section 22.6.1.1. These are expected to help minimise the impacts of in-migration and unplanned settlement growth. The above measures are expected to reduce direct impacts of the mine on bushmeat to minor significance following mitigation. However, residual impacts from in-migration are conservatively estimated to be major for high alue species such as the West African chimpanzee, moderate for medium value mammal species and minor or below for lower value species (see Chapter 12: Biodiversity). As discussed further in Chapter 19: Land Use and Land-Based Livelihoods and implied through the measures above, impacts on beneficiaries will be mitigated to the level of moderate or lower through the implementation of agriculture and livelihoods support programmes through the Agriculture and Food Security Programme (ie provision of substitutes for the service). 23.6.13.2 Freshwater Fisheries Mitigation measures for impacts on fisheries through changes to freshwater habitats (including quality and quantity of freshwater) are outlined in Section 23.5.7 and in Chapter 6: Water Environment. Mitigation measures for indirect impacts from in-migration to wild caught fish include implementation of the in-migration and natural resource management measures described in Section 23.6.1. As part of the mitigation


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measures described in Chapter 12: Biodiversity, the Project will also focus in particular on monitoring changes in freshwater fauna in river basins affected by the mine. Mitigation measures for water quality and quantity impacts are predicted to reduce indirect impacts on wild caught fish to the level of minor. Residual indirect impacts on freshwater fisheries from in-migration are conservatively assessed as moderate for all phases of the mine. 23.6.13.3 Timber Mitigation measures undertaken by the Project will be similar to those recommended for non-timber forest products, firewood and other forest resources, including implementation of an In-Migration Management Plan and natural resource management measures as described in Section 23.6.1. In terms of natural resource management efforts in collaboration with the CFZ and the CEGENS, a key step will be to identify the multi-use plant species that are under the greatest pressure, such as soungbalani and kani, in order to provide guidelines for the harvesting of wood and non-timber products. Residual impacts on timber products are assessed as minor for direct impacts and moderate for indirect impacts from in-migration for all phases of the mine. 23.6.13.4 Aesthetic Value Provided by Natural Landscapes The scope for further mitigation of the impacts associated with the change in profile to the ridgeline is limited but the project will continue to give careful attention to the fit of the mined landform with the surrounding landscape and consult with local communities to ensure their opinions are taken into account. As discussed in more detail in Chapter 14: Landscape, during construction, the Project will aim to keep the area of vegetation clearance to a minimum, use low level bollard lighting on roads and conveyors where possible, use fencing, earthworks and screen planting (trees and shrubs) to reduce visual intrusion on nearby settlements, and other measures. During operation, the following measures will be put in place as part of the Land Rehabilitation Plan to reduce visual impacts: temporary work areas are successfully rehabilitated; landscape planting continues to provide screening where required; and working areas and operational facilities are kept tidy and clear of clutter.

Further, more specific, mitigation measures will also be investigated, in consultation and agreement with the affected communities, to minimise impacts on visual resources by measures such as forest plantation screening. This is particularly applicable to the settlements of Wataférédou II, Moribadou, Traoréla and Foma. Where significant adverse impacts cannot be avoided or reduced to a level acceptable to the affected communities at SVR locations, in particular at Wataférédou II, the scope for further landscape and visual resource mitigation measures beyond those listed above is limited. The Project will continue to give careful attention to the fit of the mined landform with the surrounding landscape and consult with local communities to ensure their opinions are taken into account. Local communities will also be provided with regular and appropriate information about progress and future plans for development.

As noted above, it will not be possible to entirely avoid or mitigate impacts on the visual character of the landscape during mine construction and operation. Mitigation measures will therefore result in residual impacts of major significance in Moribadou and Wataférédou II and moderate for Foma and villages west of the Simandou Ridge (eg Traoréla).

23.6.13.5 Existence Value of Biodiversity As discussed in Section 23.5.14.4, the SEIA does not attempt to assign a rating to impacts on this service. Rather, as described above, the biodiversity assessment (Chapter 12: Biodiversity) considers impacts on habitats and species that have been identified as high value. The goal of maintaining existence value is incorporated into the development of mitigation measures to avoid and minimise negative impacts on biodiversity in the area of the mine and an offset programme to achieve a net positive impact on biodiversity overall.


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23.6.13.6 Natural Hazard Regulation Following implementation of Project design measures, impacts on flood regulation are assessed as not significant prior to mitigation for all phases of the mine. Mitigation measures for loss of fire regulation services include measures to manage brush and forest fires as per Project commitments. These include: unauthorised open fires will be prohibited; fire breaks will be developed around Project sites; adequate water supplies for use in the case of a fire will be established in critical locations; trained fire crews will be available in each region and personnel will be trained in communication of fire

related hazards and first response; work with local communities on management of brush fires and forest fires; and facilitate emergency response, containment and clean-up in the case of a fire, spill or other emergency. Through implementation of these measures, the Project will work with communities to reduce the number of fires resulting from human activity and help communities to maintain and improve natural fire breaks near villages and other important areas, such as cultural heritage sites. This will help to maintain the value of natural firebreaks as an ecosystem service, resulting in residual direct impacts of minor during construction and operation and not significant for decommissioning and closure. In combination with implantation of the in-migration plan and related measures, the above measures will help to reduce indirect impacts from in-migration on fire regulation to moderate for all phases. 23.7 Management Measures for Mine Dependencies on Ecosystem Services This section discusses the priority ecosystem services depended on by the mine in the study area. No dependency or impact ‘ratings’ are given as this section is not part of the formal impact assessment process. Instead, a description is provided of any measures required for the mine to maintain the availability and function of a service for Project use or to establish access to substitutes where needed. The management measures described below are not considered mitigation measures and are not included in the SEMP. As it is not a priority service in terms of mine dependence, erosion regulation is not discussed in further detail here. 23.7.1.1 Management Measures for Freshwater Resources As discussed in Chapter 6: Water Environment, the Project envisages that freshwater supplies will be drawn from dewatering boreholes. Figure 6.12 in Chapter 6: Water Environment shows the overall water balance for the mine, which remains close to or at zero throughout mine life and the water balance analysis shows that sufficient water is available to meet the project’s needs without bringing in outside water or negatively impacting the flow of the service. As described in Section 23.5.7 where possible the Project will explore possibilities for reusing or recycling water rather than accessing fresh water supplies. No additional measures are envisaged to maintain this service at the level required for mine activities. 23.7.1.2 Management Measures for Disease Regulation As described earlier and in Chapter 21: Community Health, Safety and Security, the mine workforce is at risk of contracting malaria in the study area. The presence of dense vegetation has been shown to reduce infection rates, whereas the presence of standing water tends to provide breeding habitat and increase the density of vectors in the area. As described in the mitigation for impacts on disease regulation (Section 23.5.13), the mine is putting in place a number of measures to avoid creating standing pools of water during the dry season, when breeding grounds would not ordinarily be present. In addition, the mine site has already put in place a number of


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mitigation measures to reduce the risk of workers contracting malaria. Existing and planned mitigation measures include: workplace malaria and vector control programmes including a policy requiring long sleeves and

encouraging the use of malaria chemoprophylaxis; indoor residual spray (IRS) programmes and planned space spray fogging at worker camps; measures to reduce the potential for mosquito-human interactions in worker accommodation, office

space and other buildings; and implementation of regular (annual) information and education campaigns around malaria with the

workforce throughout the life of the mine. These programmes should be monitored and reviewed regularly to determine effectiveness. 23.8 Summary of Findings This section summarises the findings of the assessment of impacts on ecosystem services during all phases of the Simandou Mine. Through the implementation of a wide range of project design and mitigation measures, the Project aims to avoid, minimise and where necessary mitigate impacts on ecosystem services in the area of the mine. For the 11 priority ecosystem services identified in the study area, the measures implemented by the Project have the additional goal of maintaining the value and functionality of these services for beneficiaries over the short and long term. A summary of predicted and residual impacts on ecosystem services is provided in Table 23.13. 23.8.1 Provisioning Services Development of the mine is expected to result in impacts of moderate or higher significance on ten provisioning services in the mine study area. These include six priority ecosystem services - crop cultivation, livestock herding, non-timber forest products, firewood and freshwater supply – and four non-priority services. In the case of most provisioning services, wherever avoidance of direct impacts on a service through occupation of land is not possible, a series of mitigation measures will be applied under the PARC Framework to ensure that livelihoods are restored through replacement of land and assets. In the case of impacts on freshwater, the Simandou Mine Water Management System (MWMS) will be implemented to avoid or minimise negative impacts on availability of freshwater to communities through dewatering discharges. Where this is not sufficient, provision of access to alternative water resources will be provided through the Social Management Framework. These measures bring direct impacts on all priority services to a residual level of minor or lower for all phases of the mine. In the case of nearly all provisioning services in the mine area, indirect impacts from in-migration are more difficult to predict and may fall outside of the Project’s management control. Mitigation measures for impacts from in-migration include implementation of an In-Migration Management Plan, coordination with local communities to manage settlement expansion and implementation of natural resource management and monitoring measures under the Agriculture and Food Security Programme. In the case of some natural products, such as raffia palm products or natural medicines, additional measures may include working with communities to plant and maintain nurseries or semi-natural plantations in order to maintain the function of these services. In addition, the Project has designed agricultural, infrastructure and economic improvement programmes as part of a wider effort to minimise impacts on the livelihoods and wellbeing of communities in the mine area. Despite these measures, the fact that a number of impacts stemming from in-migration lie outside of Project control results in a moderate residual impacts rating for a number of provisioning services (including crop cultivation, firewood and charcoal, fisheries, timber and some non-timber forest products). 23.8.2 Cultural Services Spiritual and religious sites and traditional practices are considered priority ecosystem services in the mine study area. Existence value and aesthetic value are included in the assessment as non-priority services. For all cultural impacts, the Project will be undertaking extensive consultation to understand stakeholder concerns and additional mitigation options beyond the ones recommended in the SEIA report.


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Where impacts are anticipated for specific cultural or spiritual sites, the project will relocate sites or natural objects where feasible and clearly mark and protect any sites outside the immediate mine footprint. Residual impacts are expected to vary from minor to moderate depending upon the site. In the case of impacts on traditional practices, mitigation measures aiming to maintain the function of provisioning services will help to mitigate impacts on traditional activities. As with other traditional areas of knowledge and practice, such as dance and oral history, the Project will also develop programmes to support selected traditional practices that might otherwise be lost. Residual impacts will be managed to the level of minor to moderate. Finally, impacts on the aesthetic value that people place on natural landscape features are assessed according to the sensitivity of receptors, as described in Chapter 14: Landscape. These impacts will be addressed through Project design and updated as needed through stakeholder consultation, resulting in impacts ranging from minor to major significance depending upon the location and sensitivity of receptors.

The SEIA does not attempt to assign impact ratings for impacts on existence value. Rather, as discussed in detail in Chapter 12: Biodiversity, the goal of maintaining existence value is incorporated into the development of mitigation to avoid and minimise negative impacts on biodiversity in the area of the mine and an offset programme to achieve a net positive impact on biodiversity overall. In recognition of the fact that it may be difficult in a number of cases to maintain the value of specific cultural services at the pre-mine level, the Project will assess residual impacts on cultural services through community consultation and address these through the PARC Framework where necessary. 23.8.3 Regulating Services Development of the mine is expected to result in impacts of moderate or higher significance on four regulating services in the mine study area. Three of these services – regulation of surface water flows, erosion regulation and disease regulation – are considered priority ecosystem services in the study area. As an intermediate service, impacts and mitigation relating to changes in regulation of surface water flows are captured in the analysis of freshwater availability for household and agricultural use. Impacts on erosion regulation in the mine area are addressed through a number of avoidance and minimisation measures such as minimising works in areas where there is the potential for slope instability, particularly during the rainy season and rehabilitating all disturbed land as soon as practical after completion of works. Implementation of these measures is expected to result in impacts of minor significance during construction and operation and no significant impacts following closure. Residual impacts on water quality as a result of changes in erosion regulation are also minor and are incorporated into the freshwater analysis. Implementation of mitigation measures to reduce the creation of mosquito breeding grounds and to help limit uncontrolled settlement will reduce the significance of mine impacts on regulation of malaria to not significant for all phases. Ecosystems are not believed to play a significant role in regulation of other major diseases in the area. Additional mitigation measures are expected to produce a more favourable residual impact on people (beneficiaries of the service). In this case, mitigation measures including education and prevention programmes are expected to produce an overall moderate benefit for the health of communities and workers in the mine area. 23.8.4 Summary of Findings: Residual Impacts Table The assessment of impacts presented in Table 23.13 follows the breakdown described in Section 23.5.1 (ie direct, indirect and indirect impacts from in-migration). In the interest of simplifying the presentation, where there were variations across the different phases of the mine, the table includes only the highest impact rating assigned (for example, direct impacts on livestock are estimated to be moderate during construction and operation and not significant during decommissioning and closure; the moderate rating is included in the table below).


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Table 23.12 Summary of Mine Impacts on Ecosystem Services

Description of Impact Significance before Mitigation Key Mitigation Measures Residual Impact

Provisioning Services

Cultivated Crops

Direct impacts from occupation of land

Critical Livelihood restoration, monitoring and compensation for lost assets under the PARC Framework.

Dust suppression techniques such as water sprays will be used where excessive dust levels are predicted or reported.

Implementation of measures to protect soils under the Land Use Management Plan. For example, topsoil (and subsoil where deemed necessary) will be salvaged for re-use (additional measures detailed in Chapter 5 and in the SEMP).

Implementation of the In-Migration Plan and related measures. Development of agricultural support programmes under the

Agriculture and Food Security Programme.

Minor

Direct impacts from changes in water availability, soil quality and dust deposition

Critical or below (depending on catchment)

Minor

Indirect impacts from in-migration Critical Moderate

Livestock


Moderate (sedentary)

Major (nomadic herders)

Livelihood restoration, monitoring and compensation for lost assets under the PARC Framework.

Consult communities, including sedentary communities and transhumant pastoralists who use the area to identify all access routes that will be impacted and avoid disrupting these routes where possible.

Design and implement an information and awareness programme regarding sustainable harvesting, grazing, and conservation of natural resources in partnership with relevant organisations where available and appropriate (eg Pic de Fon management plan stakeholders).

Develop livestock farming programmes under the Agriculture and Food Security Programme.

Minor

Direct impacts from changes in water availability

Not Significant Not Significant

Indirect impacts from in-migration Major Minor

Firewood and Charcoal


Moderate Compensation for lost community resources through the PARC Framework.

Explicitly include consideration of biodiversity and natural resource impacts of in-migration, and integration of appropriate responses into the overall In-Migration Plan.

Mitigation for short- to medium-term losses of access to collection areas will include providing access to alternative sources of fuelwood.

Explore alternative off-grid power provision (eg solar, wind) for employee housing and, where practicable, surrounding communities

Minor

Indirect impacts from in-migration Critical Moderate


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to reduce demand for wood for energy. Other context-specific measures will be developed through consultation with local villagers and authorities in the area.

Through Project and participatory environmental monitoring, monitor pressure on natural resources used by the community (eg firewood, bushmeat, wild plants).

Cooperation with local authorities to design and implement context-specific natural resource management measures to help communities to manage fuelwood resources over the longer term.

Non-timber Forest Products


Moderate Identification of and compensation for any direct impacts on NTFP resources through the PARC process.


Implementation of natural resource management measures through the Agriculture and Food Security Programme.

Not Significant (most NTFPs)

Minor (raffia palm)

Indirect impacts from in-migration

Moderate (most NTFPs)

Major (Raffia palm)

Minor (most NTFPs)

Moderate (Raffia Palm)

Natural Medicines


Moderate Additional stakeholder engagement to determine the importance and replaceability of the resource and to determine appropriate mitigation measures through the PARC and in-migration processes.

The Project will provide support for medicinal plant gardens where access has declined and will work with local medicinal healers to identify and ensure sufficient access to important medicinal plants.

Implementation of the In-Migration Plan and related measures.

Minor to Not Significant


Major Minor to Moderate, depending upon the area

Fresh Water Supply

Impacts on surface water flow

Critical or below (depending on catchment)

Summary of key measures. For a full list see Chapter 6: Water Environment

Design, construct, regularly review and update a Mine Water Management System (MWMS) in order to:

ensure that existing water requirements of high value ecological and / or community receptors are met before operational requirements;

mitigate impacts on existing water users, including communities and ecosystems;

comply with standards for all discharges to the environment; and

minimise large fluctuations in dewatering rates.

Implementation of the In-Migration Plan and related measures.

Minor or below (depending on catchment) during operation &

impacts from water supply conflicts

Moderate Minor

Impacts on water quality Major Moderate


Major to Critical depending upon the level of in-migration in a given area

Minor


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During detailed design a water use audit will be conducted at each supply point to determine more precisely the value of the surface water supply to each community. Values will be assigned based upon current (and where appropriate projected future) use, the availability of alternative supplies, and the assigned value may vary on a seasonal basis; and

MWMS designed and operated such that:

natural baseflow conditions in all medium and high ecological value catchments will be maintained;

compensation flows for medium and high ecological value catchments will be discharged where possible at existing spring locations in order to mimic the natural flow regime;

sufficient flows are available at community surface water supply points to meet current (and where appropriate projected future) use; and

in the event of a flow ‘deficit’, whereby compensation flows and project water supply requirements cannot be met, then minimum compensation flow thresholds for low or negligible value catchments will be re-set to 70% of natural baseflow conditions.

Carry out hydrological / yield assessments, integrating concept of environmental flows for alternate supplies.

The Project will work with the project affected communities to support them in securing safe and sustainable water supplies.

Finalise design of water quality standards, control measures, compliance points and monitoring programmes as described in Chapter 6: Water Environment.

Implementation of erosion control measures included in the Land Use Management Plan.

Staff training and implementation of Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Plan.

Cultural Services

Spiritual and Religious Sites

Direct impact from mine activities and occupation of land

Moderate to Major depending on the site

Avoidance, or if not possible and if acceptable to stakeholders, mitigation strategies developed through good faith negotiations with local stakeholders.

Consultation with local communities to identify additional unknown

Residual impact cannot be determined at this stage but aim will be to avoid significant impacts where possible and


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sites, understand site boundaries, identify use and access issues. Implementation of the Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP). Implementation of measures to maintain natural fire regulation

services (see Natural Hazard Regulation).

mitigate remaining impacts so that they are no more than minor or moderate.

Direct impacts due to a reduction in natural fire regulation

Major Minor

Traditional Practices

Direct impact from mine activities and occupation of land

Critical*

*Conservative rating covering traditional practices as a whole. Values and impacts will vary significantly at the village level and will be assessed in more detail through stakeholder engagement under the CHMP.

Mitigation measures directed at maintaining the function of provisioning services that tend to be utilised in traditional activities including the Pic de Fon management plan and In-Migration Plan.

Ongoing consultation with stakeholders to better understand potential impacts, establish a full understanding of and respect for cultural norms, and design appropriate responses to impacts on cultural services over the course of mine activities.


Minor to Moderate depending upon the traditional practice in question.

Regulating Services

Regulation of Surface water flows Moderate

All river crossings and culverts will be designed to convey an estimated 100 - year return period flood event.

Cross-drainage structures will be located so that backwater conditions during flooding will significantly reduce the potential for impacts on upstream infrastructure.

Cross-drainage arrangements retain the seasonal drainage pathways and water level profiles in areas that are of significant ecological value, or are used by communities for recession or wetland-based agriculture.

Drainage systems for operational areas will be designed to take account of any potential for increased flood peaks downstream by installing flood retention or other peak flow balancing / control measures if required.

There will be regular clearance and maintenance of all cross drainage structures to maintain capacity.

In-stream construction works will be carefully planned to minimise any potential disruption to existing drainage patterns.

Minor

Erosion Regulation Major Implementation of a Land Use Management Plan, including measures such as:

avoiding unnecessary disturbance of stable surfaces;

Minor


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protection of soils outside work areas from damage by prohibiting the movement of construction vehicles and equipment outside designated areas;

locating temporary construction areas to avoid ground at risk from erosion wherever possible;

minimising works in areas where there is the potential for slope instability;

scheduling works with high erosion potential during the dry season wherever possible; and

rehabilitating all disturbed land as soon as practical after completion of works.

Disease Regulation

Direct impacts leading to increased breeding habitat and clearing of protective vegetation

Critical Measures to reduce the presence of standing water onsite and offsite through strict environmental controls and run-off management.

Monitoring the incidence of malaria using available data most notably the number of workforce cases that occur.

Measures to reduce the potential for mosquito-human interactions at worker camps and office buildings.

Implementation of the in-migration plan and related measures.

Not Significant**

** Residual impacts on beneficiaries are expected to be moderately positive following implementation of malaria awareness and prevention programmes (this is unrelated to the regulating service provided by the ecosystem)


Major

Non-priority ecosystem services

Bushmeat

Direct impacts from the mine

Major (employee consumption)

Minor (land occupation)

Minimising Project-induced in-migration, to the extent possible. Conducting spatial planning to manage the inflow of migrants, in

accordance with the objectives of regional development planning.

Purchase or sale of bushmeat by or within onsite catering facilities will be strictly forbidden.

Firearms will be prohibited in all Project areas and accommodation. Project personnel will be strictly forbidden from engaging in hunting,

selling or purchasing bushmeat during work hours or within Project work areas or facilities.

Continued support of Pic de Fon CF Management Plan, and development and implementation of Project-wide Bushmeat Hunting Management Plan.

Promotion of strict bans on hunting of high value species. Development of provision of alternative protein sources. Capacity building and development of legislation and enforcement

measures in partnership with local and national government, local

Minor


Critical Major for high value species***

*** Residual impacts on beneficiaries are expected to be moderate or lower due to programmes focusing on the creation of alternative sources of food and income (substitutes for the service).


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communities and NGOs.

Training and deployment of ecoguards, in partnership with local and national government, local communities and NGOs.

Freshwater Fisheries


Major Explicitly include consideration of biodiversity and natural resource impacts of in-migration, and integration of appropriate responses into the overall In-Migration Plan.

Implementation of natural resource management measures as described in the Pic de Fon Management Plan.

Implementation of the Simandou Mine Water Management System (MWMS).

Minor


Moderate Moderate

Timber


Moderate Explicitly include consideration of biodiversity and natural resource impacts of in-migration, and integration of appropriate responses into the overall In-Migration Plan.

Implementation of natural resource management measures as described in the Pic de Fon Management Plan.

Minor


Moderate Moderate

Aesthetic Value

Direct Impacts on the aesthetic value provided by natural landscapes

Major in Moribadou, Traoréla and other villages west of the Simandou Ridge

Critical in Wataferedou II

Moderate in Foma

The local population should be consulted on the mitigation measures acceptable to them to mitigate, and if necessary compensate for, the adverse landscape and visual impact.

Provision of regular and appropriate information to people about progress and future plans for regional development.

During design and construction, the Project will aim to minimise visual intrusion by sensitive deign of structures and implement measures to manage lighting, waste, vegetation clearance and tidiness. Detailed mitigations are provided in Chapter 14: Landscape.

During the operational phase, measures will include:

temporary work areas are successfully rehabilitated;

landscape planting continues to provide screening where required; and

working areas and operational facilities are kept tidy and clear of clutter.

Major in Moribadou and Wataferedou II

Moderate in Traoréla and other villages west of the Simandou Ridge and in Foma


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Natural Hazard Regulation

Direct impacts on natural fire breaks

Moderate Unauthorised open fires will be prohibited. Fire breaks will be developed around Project sites. Adequate water supplies for use in the case of a fire will be

established in critical locations. Trained fire crews will be available in each region and personnel will

be trained in communication of fire related hazards and first response.

Work with local communities on management of brush fires and forest fires.

Facilitate emergency response, containment and clean-up in the case of a fire, spill or other emergency.

Minor


Major Moderate

23 Ecosystem Services 23.1 Introduction - Rio Tinto - Rio … 23 Ecosystem Services 23.1 Introduction This chapter presents the assessment of the ecosystem service impacts and dependencies

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