Mining and Biodiversity Guideline

The Mining and Biodiversity Guideline establishes a framework for the South African mining industry to minimize ecological impacts through six core principles: applying the law, using best available biodiversity information, engaging stakeholders, employing best practice Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), applying the mitigation hierarchy, and ensuring effective implementation of Environmental Management Programmes (EMP). It categorizes biodiversity priority areas into four risk levels (A to D), ranging from legally prohibited mining zones to areas of moderate risk. The guide emphasizes a 'risk-based approach' to protect natural capital and maintain a 'social licence to operate', detailing specific requirements for each stage of the mining life cycle: reconnaissance, prospecting, production, and decommissioning/closure.

• The guideline is based on six fundamental principles for decision-making: applying the law, using the best available biodiversity information, thorough stakeholder engagement, using best practice EIA, applying the mitigation hierarchy in planning and EMP development, and ensuring effective EMP implementation including adaptive management.
• Biodiversity priority areas are divided into four categories based on their importance and the resulting implications for mining: Category A (legally protected, mining prohibited), Category B (highest importance, highest risk), Category C (high importance, high risk), and Category D (moderate importance, moderate risk).
• Mining is legally prohibited in Category A areas, which include National Parks, Nature Reserves, World Heritage Sites, and Marine Protected Areas, unless approved by both the Minister of Mineral Resources and the Minister of Environmental Affairs in the case of Protected Environments.
• Category B areas, including Critically Endangered and Endangered ecosystems, Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs), and Ramsar sites, are considered highest risk; mining here may be viewed as a 'fatal flaw' for new projects due to the high likelihood of irreplaceable loss.
• The mitigation hierarchy must be applied proactively in the following order: avoid or prevent impacts, minimise impacts, rehabilitate impacted areas, and finally offset significant residual negative impacts.
• Biodiversity offsets are defined as measurable conservation gains intended to balance significant losses that remain after avoidance, minimisation, and restoration efforts have been exhausted, aiming for 'no net loss' and preferably a 'net gain'.
• Mining companies face significant business risks from poor biodiversity management, including regulatory risk (licence revocation), reputational damage, and the loss of a 'social licence to operate', which is ranked as the fourth most significant risk to the industry.
• The mining life cycle is divided into four stages: reconnaissance, prospecting (or exploration), mining (production), and decommissioning and closure, with increasing investment and effort required at each subsequent stage.
• Environmental Management Programmes (EMPs) serve as the primary tool for mitigating impacts and must include baseline information, impact assessments, a schedule for mitigation, and financial provisions for rehabilitation and closure.
• Rehabilitation in mining often falls short of replicating the full complexity of natural systems; therefore, a risk-averse approach is recommended, particularly in biodiversity priority areas, to avoid relying solely on restoration.

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} }