Best practice in Namibian environmental mining
Biodiversity offsets are measurable conservation outcomes that prove mining can coexist with nature.
Mines have a tremendous socio-economic influence in Namibia. Although the environmental footprint of individual mines is concentrated, intense and visually striking, it is usually relatively small in surface cover. Recognising the importance of the mining industry, the state strives to establish the country as Africa’s most attractive mining environment, through conducive legislation related to land access, tenure and tax.
Technical infrastructure is continuously improved, and an excellent range of high-quality geological information is available to exploration companies, including a geological archive that is one of the most extensive in Africa. The archive also incorporates a complete inventory of previous exploration work that stretches back almost a century and the results from modern surveys.
Sustainable development in the mining sector of Namibia is becoming increasingly important. Mining companies known to be responsible corporate citizens, with a strong sustainable development agenda, become increasingly pertinent. With a social licence to operate the mine can easily attract and retain employees and build prosperous relationships with service providers, customers, authorities, the media and other stakeholders.
Achieving sustainable development in the mining industry can be done by offsetting impacts and reinvesting the benefits realised from extracting mineral assets. Biodiversity offsets are measurable conservation outcomes. They result from actions designed to compensate for significant residual adverse impacts of development projects, after appropriate prevention and mitigation measures have been taken.
The aim of biodiversity offsets is to achieve no net loss, and preferably a net gain, of biodiversity on the ground, with respect to species composition, habitat structure, ecosystem function, and people’s use and cultural values associated with biodiversity.
The Namibian mining sector, in response to a request from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, have developed a blueprint for sustainable development offsets, linking offsets to non-mining regions across Namibia.
In this context, sustainable development offsets encompass all facets of the environment, including the biophysical, social and economic environments. A Best Practice Guide was produced in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Chamber of Mines (CoM), the Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE), the Namibian Government, and members of the Namibian mining industry. Published in 2019 the 48 page guide is divided into five sections dealing with environmental issues and practical approaches relating to the various stages of the mining cycle.