Indigenous Peoples Issues - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 683

Directions for measures to mitigate the social impact of closure should come from the
community, with government input and oversight, as appropriate. The company's role is
to encourage and assist, and to provide its best available predictions of mine life and sched-
ules for reductions in the workforce.
Clearly, where Indigenous Peoples have been involved in supervisory or management
positions, they and their communities will be better equipped to undertake new ventures
after mine closure. Even better is where indigenous groups organize themselves into con-
tracting businesses, performing work at the mine. These businesses are then able to under-
take contracts for other customers.

16.11 CONCLUSIONS

Mining in a region occupied, used or valued by an indigenous community will inevitably create
pressures that can contribute to signii cant changes in that society. Early planning and effective
consultation are required to ensure that this does not occur. Any 'changes' should come solely at
the request of, or should be understood and accepted by, the affected community.
Mining is not necessarily incompatible with the values and aspirations of Indigenous
Peoples. On the contrary, it may provide the opportunity for indigenous societies to regain
a sense of independence and a strong, or stronger, degree of economic self-reliance.
Indigenous Peoples have, or should have, the right to decide whether, and under what
conditions, mining can take place on their land. They have a right not only to be fairly
compensated for any losses, but to benei t from the operations.
In the end, after mining ceases, it is likely to be the Indigenous Peoples who will re-occupy
the land and be the benei ciaries of its i nal form and condition. This may mean restoration of
the land to a condition consistent with its original land use. Or, it may involve rehabilitation to
suit one or more different uses as determined in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
The challenge for the mining industry is to plan, operate and close in a way which is under-
stood by the indigenous community, acceptable to them, offers them meaningful levels of
involvement in terms of decision-making and employment, and is benei cial to the commu-
nity in a collective sense throughout the project. Rather than mine closure being seen as the
'end of the good times', the company must share the responsibility with the community and
its government, of establishing a sustainable socio-economic infrastructure robust enough to
avoid collapse of the community's welfare after the company withdraws from the area.
Many governments require that companies provide legally binding i nancial guarantees
or accrue funds for use in mine closure. This is to protect against the situation in which a
company becomes insolvent or is wound up once operations cease - a common situation in
the past, particularly among single project companies. These arrangements take various
forms as discussed in Chapter Twenty-One.
As mentioned elsewhere in this topic, effective environmental management is only
likely to be achieved if the project is appropriately proi table so that the company involved
becomes and remains i nancially robust. While the posting of bonds and accrual of funds for
closure help to protect against sudden mine closure due to bankruptcy, this is no substitute
for continued involvement by a committed company through the entire closure process.

Mining is not necessarily
incompatible with the values and
aspirations of Indigenous Peoples.

The challenge for the mining
industry is to plan, operate
and close in a way which is
understood by the indigenous
community, acceptable to them,
offers them meaningful levels
of involvement in terms
of decision-making and
employment, and is benefi cial
to the community in a collective
sense throughout the project.

REFERENCES

Bharat B Dhar (1996) Environment and Sustainable Development in Developing
Countries with Special Reference to Mining Industry