Biodiversidad y gobernanza minera: Senegal y Turquía

This case study examines how the Mitigation Hierarchy (avoid, minimize, rehabilitate, offset) can be applied to mining to protect biodiversity. It details the Mako Gold project in Senegal, which focused on western chimpanzees and the Niokolo-Koba National Park, and the Öksüt mine in Turkey, which targeted migratory birds and rare flora in the Develi region. The document argues that strong government policy and baseline studies are essential for achieving No Net Loss or Net Positive Impact on biodiversity.

• Mining activities are identified as the fourth leading cause of global biodiversity loss, with impacts categorized as direct (habitat loss, pollution), indirect (human migration, hunting), and cumulative (combined effects of multiple activities).
• The Mitigation Hierarchy (MH) is a framework used to reduce negative mining impacts through a four-step priority sequence: avoid, minimize, rehabilitate/restore, and offset. Offsets are intended only as a last resort for residual impacts that cannot be addressed by the first three steps.
• In Senegal, the Mako Gold project implemented the MH to achieve No Net Loss (NNL) of biodiversity, specifically targeting the protection of western chimpanzees. Key actions included reducing the mine's footprint to approximately 300 hectares (half the original size) and diverting access roads to prevent habitat fragmentation.
• The Mako Gold project's offset program involves a 1,800 km2 intervention zone in the southeast sector of the Niokolo-Koba National Park, managed through a partnership between the mine operator, the Department of National Parks of Senegal, and the NGO Panthera.
• In Turkey, the Öksüt gold mine aimed for a Net Positive Impact (NPI) in the Develi region. To protect migratory birds near the Sultan Marsh National Park, the operator conducted surveys during spring and autumn migrations and installed diverters every 10 meters along power lines to prevent collisions.
• The Öksüt mine addressed residual impacts on vulnerable flora (Campanula stricta var. aladagensis and Verbascum luridiflorum) and the Irano-Anatolian steppe habitat by setting offset targets at 120% of the predicted net loss to provide a safety margin.
• The document recommends that governments adopt national biodiversity policies, integrate the MH into legislation, establish clear guidelines for offsets, and require mining companies to share biodiversity data to improve the management of nearby protected areas.

APA

Crawford, A., & Furnell, S. (2022). Biodiversidad y gobernanza minera: Senegal y Turquía. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/igf-case-study-biodiversity-mining-senegal-turkey-es.pdf

Chicago

Crawford, Alec, and Simon Furnell. Biodiversidad y gobernanza minera: Senegal y Turquía. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/igf-case-study-biodiversity-mining-senegal-turkey-es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Crawford |first1=Alec |last2=Furnell |first2=Simon |title=Biodiversidad y gobernanza minera: Senegal y Turquía |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/igf-case-study-biodiversity-mining-senegal-turkey-es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{crawford2022biodiversidad, author = {Crawford, Alec and Furnell, Simon}, title = {{Biodiversidad y gobernanza minera: Senegal y Turquía}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/igf-case-study-biodiversity-mining-senegal-turkey-es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }