GUIDANCE FOR GOVERNMENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MINING GOVERNANCE

The document provides a framework for governments to manage environmental risks in mining, focusing on four key pillars: water management at the watershed level, biodiversity protection via the mitigation hierarchy, the long-term stability of mine waste facilities, and inclusive emergency preparedness. It outlines a five-step gap analysis process (review, assess, prioritize, implement, monitor) to help governments align their national legal frameworks with international best practices and sustainable development goals.

• The guidance identifies four critical areas for government oversight in mining environmental management: water, mine waste, biodiversity, and emergency preparedness and response. Governments are encouraged to use legislative, regulatory, and policy tools, specifically environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) and environmental and social management plans (ESMPs), to ensure sustainable management across the entire mine life cycle.
• Water management should be conducted at the watershed and regional levels to balance competing demands and protect water quality and availability. Governments are advised to set site-specific effluent criteria, monitor surface and groundwater standards strictly, and ensure that mining entities manage effluent streams—such as stormwater and process effluents—to meet established guideline values.
• To protect biodiversity and ecosystem services, governments should implement a mitigation hierarchy consisting of avoidance, minimization, rehabilitation/restoration, and offsetting. The goal is to achieve no net loss, or ideally a net gain, for nature over the life of the mine, while considering the needs of vulnerable groups including women and Indigenous communities.
• Mine waste management must prioritize the long-term physical and chemical stability of facilities, including tailings storage and waste rock dumps. Governments should require that these structures be designed to internationally recognized standards and undergo independent expert reviews, particularly to account for seismic conditions, local climate, and climate change scenarios.
• Emergency preparedness and response programs must be established prior to operations and include risk assessment, prevention, response, recovery, and crisis communication plans. These programs should be integrated into national emergency networks and developed through inclusive consultation with vulnerable stakeholders, such as ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities.
• The document proposes a five-step gap analysis process for governments to improve their environmental governance: reviewing existing legal frameworks, assessing strengths and gaps against international practice, prioritizing reforms based on risk, implementing a participative roadmap, and establishing continuous monitoring and evaluation systems.

APA

Crawford, A., Hill, J., & Bliss, M. (2021). GUIDANCE FOR GOVERNMENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MINING GOVERNANCE. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-10/igf-environmental-management-summary-en.pdf

Chicago

Crawford, Alec, Jenifer Hill, and Matthew Bliss. GUIDANCE FOR GOVERNMENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MINING GOVERNANCE. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-10/igf-environmental-management-summary-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Crawford |first1=Alec |last2=Hill |first2=Jenifer |last3=Bliss |first3=Matthew |title=GUIDANCE FOR GOVERNMENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MINING GOVERNANCE |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-10/igf-environmental-management-summary-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{crawford2021guidance, author = {Crawford, Alec and Hill, Jenifer and Bliss, Matthew}, title = {{GUIDANCE FOR GOVERNMENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MINING GOVERNANCE}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-10/igf-environmental-management-summary-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }