Mining and Biodiversity Guideline

The Mining and Biodiversity Guideline (2013) provides a framework for the South African mining industry to integrate biodiversity conservation into the mining life cycle. It establishes six core principles—including the application of the law and the use of the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, minimise, rehabilitate, offset)—to manage ecological risks. The guide categorises biodiversity priority areas by risk level, from legally prohibited zones to moderate-risk areas, and outlines specific requirements for environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and Environmental Management Programmes (EMPs) to ensure sustainable development and legal compliance.

• 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 assessment (EIA), applying the mitigation hierarchy in planning and environmental management programmes (EMP), and ensuring effective implementation including adaptive management.
• The document establishes a mitigation hierarchy that must be followed in order of priority: first avoid or prevent impacts, then minimise, then rehabilitate, and finally offset significant residual negative impacts.
• Mining in Category B areas (highest risk) is subject to strict filters; it should only be considered if the area coincides with reserves of strategic national interest, no alternative deposits exist in less sensitive areas, substitute habitats can be secured, and a full economic valuation shows mining is the optimum sustainable land use.
• The mining life cycle is divided into four stages: reconnaissance, prospecting (or exploration), mining (or production), and decommissioning and closure. The Guideline emphasizes that identifying biodiversity issues early in the cycle is most cost-effective.
• Mining impacts on biodiversity are classified into four types: direct (e.g., land clearing), indirect (e.g., pollutant migration), induced (e.g., residential settlements), and cumulative (combined impacts of multiple projects).
• The document highlights that failure to manage biodiversity risks can lead to the loss of a 'social licence to operate', which is identified as a significant business risk for the mining and metals industry.
• Biodiversity offsets are defined as measurable conservation gains intended to balance significant residual losses after avoidance, minimisation, and restoration have been attempted, aiming for no net loss or preferably a net gain.
• The Guideline specifies that the holder of a mining right is responsible for environmental damage and ecological degradation both inside and outside the boundaries of the project area until a closure certificate is issued.
• Environmental Management Programmes (EMPs) are the primary tool for mitigating impacts and must include baseline information, impact assessments, a schedule for mitigation, and financial provisions for rehabilitation and closure.
• The Guideline identifies specific high-value freshwater areas, including River and wetland Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPAs) and a 1km buffer around them, where mining should be avoided.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2013). Mining and Biodiversity Guideline. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/miningbiodiversity_guidelines2013_0.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Mining and Biodiversity Guideline. 2013. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/miningbiodiversity_guidelines2013_0.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Mining and Biodiversity Guideline |date=2013 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/miningbiodiversity_guidelines2013_0.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2013mining, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Mining and Biodiversity Guideline}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2013}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/miningbiodiversity_guidelines2013_0.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }