The Baseline - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 343

chapter, help to identify, quantify, and monitor the occurrence of environmental impacts.
The use of indicators is discussed later in this chapter. Scoping, which is also discussed
in this chapter, determines how environmental features, project design, and stakeholder
concerns shape the extent and detail of environmental baseline surveys. Baseline studies
initially involve a review and compilation of data available from the scientii c literature
and relevant government sources, collectively termed 'secondary data'. Subsequent site
surveys are conducted to generate primary or site specii c data. Since most environmen-
tal data and information have spatial attributes lending themselves to be managed and
analyzed using geographic information systems (GIS), this chapter also addresses GIS
applications.
One main challenge remains, to differentiate data from information. What do data say?
Environmental data collected in the i eld, the primary data, or data from existing sources,
the secondary data, can only capture a narrow aspect of the structure, state, and function-
ing of natural and built components in environment systems at a given time and space.
Data on water composition rel ect water chemistry. But what does water chemistry tell us?
Demographic data rel ect the composition of the population in such terms as gender or
age. But what does the age pyramid indicate? Accordingly, we attempt to assess the data
to derive information on the state or condition of the environment and on environmen-
tal processes taking place. This is not always simple. Converting data to information is
explored in the concluding section of this chapter.

Scoping, determines how
environmental features, project
design, and stakeholder concerns
shape the extent and detail of
environmental baseline surveys.

8.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF CONFLICT IDENTIFICATION

Almost invariably, development of a new mining project will compete or interfere with
other land uses, even in those rare situations where the land is not occupied. In most cases,
the land will have been long inhabited by other groups, utilizing local natural resources in
other ways. Competition for resources potentially leads to conl ict. WCD (2000) dei nes
conl icts as 'interactions of interdependent people who see their goals as incompatible'. In
a conl ict situation some people believe 'other' people are interfering with their efforts to
satisfy their interests or values. Conl icts are not necessarily bad. They can be useful as a
means of stimulating engagement and creativity. Handled ineffectively, however, conl icts
become destructive.
In recent years, mining companies have paid increasing attention to the controversies,
disputes, and occasionally violent confrontations around mining developments. Why are
large mining projects prone to such conl icts? First, there is often a mismatch of benei ts
and costs. Benei ts are widely dispersed among shareholders, employees, and governments
while costs in terms of adverse environmental impacts are locally concentrated. This real or
perceived mismatch of benei ts and costs at these different scales creates a structural chal-
lenge to dialogue and, thus, easily leads to confrontational attitudes. Second, large mines
may affect critical local needs, such as quality and allocation of freshwater, an increasingly
scarce and coveted resource. Third, insufi cient recognition of or response to the social
and environmental costs of large mine developments in the eyes of project-affected people
often results in social mobilization. Other causes of conl ict include disparities in social and
economic power, different roles of different institutions, unmet expectations (which may
include misunderstandings or commitments not met), an unpleasant surprise or simply the
specii cs of mine location and design
One or more of the above are usually involved in cases where conl icts emerge. Conl icts
may be exacerbated by cultural and social differences between different stakeholders. And,

Competition for resources
potentially leads to confl ict.