GUIDANCE FOR GOVERNMENTS Environmental Management and Mining Governance

The document outlines the role of governments in ensuring sustainable environmental management throughout the mine life cycle. It emphasizes a risk-based approach to governing four critical areas: water resources, biodiversity and ecosystem services, mine waste stability, and emergency response. The guide advocates for the use of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and Management Plans (ESMPs) as primary regulatory tools and introduces a five-step gap analysis process—review, assess, prioritize, implement, and monitor—to help governments align their national legal frameworks with international benchmarks such as the IFC Performance Standards and the Mitigation Hierarchy.

• Governments should manage water resources at the watershed level to balance competing demands and protect water quality for populations and ecosystems.
• Effective water governance requires setting effluent criteria based on site-specific conditions and receiving water objectives to protect downstream users and aquatic life.
• To protect biodiversity, governments should require mining companies to follow the mitigation hierarchy, which prioritizes avoidance and minimization over rehabilitation and offsetting.
• The goal for biodiversity management in mining is to achieve 'no net loss' (NNL) or, ideally, a 'net positive impact' (NPI) over the life of the project.
• Mine waste management must prioritize the long-term physical and chemical stability of facilities, including tailings dams and waste rock piles, to prevent catastrophic failures.
• For high-risk tailings facilities, the guide recommends the legal requirement of independent tailings review boards to periodically audit design and operation.
• Emergency plans must be inclusive and gender-responsive, recognizing that women and marginalized groups often face different vulnerabilities during crises.
• Governments can identify and address regulatory weaknesses by conducting a five-step gap analysis: review, assess, prioritize, implement, and monitor and evaluate.
• Climate change is a cross-cutting risk that can undermine the stability of waste facilities and the effectiveness of water management practices.

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/2021-05/igf-guidance-governments-environmental-management-mining-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/2021-05/igf-guidance-governments-environmental-management-mining-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/2021-05/igf-guidance-governments-environmental-management-mining-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 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/2021-05/igf-guidance-governments-environmental-management-mining-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }