The extraction of ores, minerals and metals is an essential link in the supply chain for industries as varied as construction, aerospace, automotive, electronic components, jewelry and renewable energies.
The extractive sector is the economic sector that encompasses the exploration and exploitation of mines and quarries. It concerns the extraction of rocks, minerals, rare earths and metals. 8 of the 15 BIODEV2030 countries have identified the extractive industry (mining and quarrying) as a priority economic sector contributing to the erosion of biodiversity and the country's development: Gabon, Guinea, Guyana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal, Tunisia andUganda.
THE STAKEHOLDERS & ECONOMIC CHALLENGES OF THE extractive sector :
Global demand for mineral raw materials remains buoyant. Africa, home to 30% of the world's reserves1, remains an investment destination. Mining companies are setting up operations there, contributing to the economic and social development of these countries. By way of example, the mining sector employs over 500,000 people in Madagascar, including both the industrial and artisanal sectors; Guinea is the world's second-largest exporter of bauxite, with 2/3 of the world's resources3.
In recent years, the entire extractive industries value chain (buyers, banks, government, industrial companies and artisanal players) has begun to strengthen its practices. This is particularly the case in response to societal and environmental challenges , as well as those linked to the erosion of biodiversity. The operational, reputational, marketing, legal and financial risks identified are motivating these changes in practices. However, the mining sector's activities continue to exert great pressure on biodiversity.
20%
Artisanal mines' share of global mining production
Source: Jean-Pierre Boris. (2018, June 30). Revelations on African artisanal mining [Radio program]. RFI.
THE IMPACTS OF THE extractive sector ON BIODIVERSITY :
Mining and quarrying have an impact on biodiversity on several spatial and temporal scales. The entire life cycle of a mining project has repercussions on ecosystems. And these repercussions are not confined to the extraction site alone, but extend to regional and even global scales.
The direct activities of the extractive sector (extraction, processing and storage of minerals) destroy and contaminate ecosystems and the species that live in them through chemical and physical discharges (dust, aerosols, mercury, cyanide...). Forests, wetlands and mangroves, arid environments, coral reefs, freshwater and the high seas: the mining sector spares no ecosystem. In addition, the development of associated infrastructures (roads, pipelines) exacerbates the threats to biodiversity, notably the destruction and fragmentation of habitats.
50 million km² of land
Land affected by industrial mining
Source: SystExt, Rapport d'étude controverses minières, November 2021, 162p.
The extractive industries have a negative impact on biodiversity through :
1. The choice of production site: destruction and fragmentation of exploited ecosystems. The choice of site should not be guided solely by the deposits present; the ecological impact of the ecosystems destroyed must also be taken into account.
2. The type of operation (industrial, semi-mechanized, artisanal) and the means of operation (chemicals used for mineral extraction and waste treatment in particular). Pollution linked to the mining industry must be controlled, reduced or eliminated.
3. Ore and waste transport modes and routes. Given that mining operations already have a very high impact on the extraction area, new sites should only be authorized in the vicinity of existing transport routes.