Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Mining Sector

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) advocates for the use of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in the mining sector to enhance sustainable development. It distinguishes SEA from project-level Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), demonstrating through case studies in Namibia, Ghana, Romania, and Mozambique how SEA can influence national policies and regional planning to better manage cumulative impacts, resource use, and stakeholder interests.

• Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) differs from Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) by focusing on policies, plans, and programs (PPPs) with a broad, long-term perspective rather than individual project specifications. While ESIA is a linear process managed by project proponents to minimize impacts, SEA is an iterative process led by public agencies to balance environmental, social, and economic objectives.
• SEA addresses critical mining sector issues that project-level ESIAs cannot, such as the cumulative effects of multiple mining activities, the impact of proposals on long-term infrastructure planning, and the integration of mining into national development strategies and UN Sustainable Development Goals. It also helps manage the environmental degradation caused by artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM).
• In Namibia, a SEA for the uranium sector led to the joint development of infrastructure—including roads, pipelines, and a seawater-desalination facility—by mining companies, which optimized resource use and reduced overall infrastructure proliferation. The process was supported by a government moratorium on new exclusive prospecting licences until the SEA was completed.
• In Ghana, a 2008 mining SEA informed the 2014 minerals and mining policy and improved the permit process for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). This resulted in the establishment of more district mining and satellite offices to enhance local regulation, although these offices remain under-resourced.
• Romania's use of SEA for mine closure provided the analytical basis for environmentally sustainable remediation and led to new legislation on dam safety. This resulted in the reclamation of eight tailings dams, reducing the risk of failure and associated social and environmental consequences.
• In Mozambique, a SEA for the lower Zambezi Valley (specifically Tete Province) integrated environmental and social considerations into a multisectoral and spatial territorial development plan. This framework subsequently informed water-management plans, conservation area management, and the selection of resettlement areas for families affected by Cyclone Kenneth in 2016.
• Common obstacles to implementing SEA in mining include limited institutional capacity, lack of political will, and inadequate access to up-to-date environmental data. Case studies suggest these can be overcome through inter-agency collaboration, capacity building, and the use of existing monitoring indicators to maintain momentum.
• The ongoing SEA in Canada's Ring of Fire region highlights the necessity of Indigenous partnership. Initial Terms of Reference developed in 2020 without proper Indigenous involvement were rejected by First Nations, leading the federal environment minister in 2023 to restart the process through the co-development of new Terms of Reference.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2024). Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Mining Sector. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-04/igf-strategic-environmental-assessment-mining.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Mining Sector. 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-04/igf-strategic-environmental-assessment-mining.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Mining Sector |date=2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-04/igf-strategic-environmental-assessment-mining.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2024strategic, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Mining Sector}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-04/igf-strategic-environmental-assessment-mining.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }