Community Development - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 632

should include implicit consideration for what happens when mining ceases. After mine
closure, the company's main responsibility should be to monitor the implementation of
replacement economic activities and social-infrastructure systems. If these are not ready,
creating them at the end of the mine life will be no easy task.
Although this economic transition is the responsibility of local and regional govern-
ments, the consequences of any failure of CD programmes will severely damage the public
image of the company, and could potentially lead to security problems for its post-closure
management and labour force. These problems are trivial when compared with those of
the unprepared community, which is forced to deal with high levels of unemployment
without adequate replacement opportunities, and a narrowly based, undeveloped econ-
omy. Too often when mining activities cease, the communities previously dependent on
them become economically stranded.
Central to mine closure is the land use planning for rehabilitated land. This plan should
be prepared in the early years of the project and, using examples and lessons learned
during the mining project start-up and initial operations, should address culturally and
biologically suitable vegetation, relinquishment of land to previous owners or the govern-
ment, and improving the stability and fertility of top soils. Further detail on planning and
achieving ultimate land use is provided in Chapter Twenty-one.

15.5 COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES - WHAT TO DO?

In the introduction to this topic we discussed the various types of capital that exist in a
region of a prospective mine including: human, social, natural resource, environmental,
and i nancial capital. Mining is likely to diminish environmental resources and by its very
nature it depletes natural resource capital. Thus, CD programmes are designed to (1) miti-
gate potential negative project impacts, and (2) stimulate social investment to increase the
level of renewable resource capital to offset the loss in natural resource capital.
As illustrated in Figure 15.7 and Table 15.8 , most CD programmes involve one of the
following: income generation, health and sanitation, education and training, public infra-
structure support, capacity building, and environmental programmes.

Income Generation

Local preference in hiring construction workers, while sensible and necessary from busi-
ness and ethical points of view is not a CD programme. However, the training component
of employment does contribute to community development, although this may not be its
primary objective. CD programmes related to employment aim to help prepare suitable
local community members for project employment opportunities, by providing training
where appropriate. Ongoing programmes also aim to develop emloyee skills, performance,
and ability to take on more responsibility.
Any mining project is expected to provide several hundred or even thousands of tempo-
rary jobs during the construction phase and fewer permanent jobs during the mine opera-
tion. There is a big difference between manpower for operational activities and that for
construction activities, because these are two different activities.
Although only temporary, the construction phase absorbs more skilled and unskilled
labour than the operational phase does. It is advisable for the mining project to require its
contractors to maximize the involvement of local people during construction. Attention

There is a big difference
between manpower for
operational activities and that for
construction activities, because
these are two different activities.