Land Acquisition and Resettlement - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 588

parameters such as existing markets, common land ownership or seasonal employment
opportunities. Such a survey assesses sources of income and the use of existing natural
resources. Generated data are used in planning for income restoration.
Third, it is necessary to understand the existing social fabric. A social-cultural survey doc-
uments existing social community fabric, formal and informal leadership structures, com-
munication channels, conl ict resolution mechanisms and the community capacity to respond
to mine-induced changes. In addition the social-cultural survey supports community consul-
tation and participation planning and the design of community development programmes.
All three surveys need to include host populations if physical displacement is unavoid-
able. In cases where Indigenous Peoples are involved, anthropological surveys provide a
means of understanding the people and their relationships to the land and its resources.

14.3 RESETTLEMENT PRIORITIES

Two priorities should guide resettlement actions.
The i rst priority is to minimize the need for resettlement by means of project design, such
as intelligent alignment of access roads, or siting of supporting mine infrastructure. The loca-
tion of the ore body is i xed, but everything else is largely the outcome of project design. Project
design should pass exceptional scrutiny if large numbers of families have to be displaced. Only
if, after all alternatives have been exhausted, resettlement is still considered unavoidable, should
it go ahead. Goodland (2004) cites the following example to illustrate unsustainable develop-
ment involving resettlement: 'the Canadian company Manhattan Minerals Corporation has
proposed relocating at least half of the 16,000 population of the Tambo Grande Township in
Peru. Much of this relocation would be involuntary. The remaining citizens would then live
next to two opencast gold, zinc and copper pits about a kilo-meter in diameter and 250m deep.
The project would divert the main river, risking polluting the irrigation water, the main liveli-
hood of the town. As such, this project does not fuli ll the requirements of a developmentally
sustainable enterprise.'
The second priority is to reach a voluntary agreement on resettlement with those
affected. Of course, the host government has the power to exercise eminent domain, but
this should be avoided if at all possible. Invoking eminent domain indicates inadequate
trust and a breakdown in the participatory process. Transparent participation and democ-
racy in developed countries essentially provide veto power to people who may be adversely
affected by a mining project.
Many societies have developed their own mechanisms for dealing with sensitive issues
such as resettlement, and project proponents are advised to use these mechanisms where
they exist. In Indonesia, mufakat and masyarakat refer to the processes by which social
issues are discussed at length, leading to the development of consensus among participants.
Failure to achieve consensus in the Indonesian situation is quite rare, although the time
required may seem excessive to outsiders.

The fi rst priority is to minimize
the need for resettlement by
means of project design.

14.4 COMPENSATION FOR RESETTLEMENT LOSSES
AND RESTORATION OF LIVELIHOOD -
A RIGHT, NOT A NEED

Mining projects recognize land as an economic asset. This perception implies that min-
ing should be given priority to other land uses since it yields greater economic value