annexure-ra7-part-1-of-2-695326620eb9351d.pdf

The 'Mining and Biodiversity Guideline: Mainstreaming biodiversity into the mining sector' (2013) is a practical manual designed to help the South African mining industry, regulators, and practitioners integrate biodiversity considerations into the entire mining life cycle, from reconnaissance to closure. It aims to balance economic growth from mineral wealth with the conservation of South Africa's megadiverse ecosystems by providing a risk-based approach to land-use planning and impact management.

• The Guideline is based on six fundamental principles for decision-making regarding biodiversity in mining: applying the law, using the best available biodiversity information, engaging stakeholders thoroughly, using best practice Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), applying the mitigation hierarchy in planning and Environmental Management Programmes (EMP), and ensuring effective EMP implementation through adaptive management.
• Biodiversity is a critical economic asset in South Africa, with conservative estimates valuing it at approximately 7% of the GDP (roughly R73 billion) and supporting over one million jobs through sectors such as conservation management, fisheries, forestry, and hunting.
• The document establishes a mitigation hierarchy to manage negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. The priority sequence is to first avoid impacts, then minimise them, followed by rehabilitation, and finally offsetting any remaining significant residual negative impacts.
• Biodiversity priority areas are classified into four categories based on their importance and the resulting risk/implications for mining: Category A (Legally protected - Mining prohibited), Category B (Highest biodiversity importance - Highest risk for mining), Category C (High biodiversity importance - High risk for mining), and Category D (Moderate biodiversity importance - Moderate risk for mining).
• Mining in Category B areas (Highest Risk) is subject to strict filters. It should only be considered if the reserves are of strategic national interest, no alternative deposits exist in less sensitive areas, substitute habitats can be provided, a full economic valuation proves mining is the optimum land use, and there is no irreplaceable loss or irreversible deterioration.
• The mining life cycle is divided into four stages: reconnaissance, prospecting, mining (construction and operation), and decommissioning and closure. The Guideline emphasizes that identifying biodiversity issues early in the cycle is the most cost-effective way to avoid expensive problems during implementation.
• Mining impacts on biodiversity are categorized as direct (e.g., land clearing), indirect (e.g., downstream pollutant migration), induced (e.g., new residential settlements), or cumulative (combined impacts of multiple projects in one catchment or ecosystem).
• Failure to manage biodiversity and maintain a 'social licence to operate' is identified as a significant business risk. This includes regulatory risks (licence revocation), reputational damage, and liability risks where company directors can be held personally accountable for non-compliance.
• The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is the legally mandated body for collecting and disseminating biodiversity information, providing spatial biodiversity plans and the B-GIS website to help identify priority areas.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). annexure-ra7-part-1-of-2-695326620eb9351d.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Annexure-RA7-Part-1-of-2.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. annexure-ra7-part-1-of-2-695326620eb9351d.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Annexure-RA7-Part-1-of-2.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=annexure-ra7-part-1-of-2-695326620eb9351d.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Annexure-RA7-Part-1-of-2.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndannexurera7part1of2695326620eb9351dpdf, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{annexure-ra7-part-1-of-2-695326620eb9351d.pdf}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Annexure-RA7-Part-1-of-2.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }