COMMUNITY AUDIT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THE SOCIÉTÉ MINIÈRE DE BOKÉ IN GUINEA

The community audit documents widespread violations of environmental, land, and human rights resulting from Société Minière de Boké (SMB) operations in Guinea. Key findings include severe air and water pollution, illegal land dispossession, inadequate compensation, and negative health outcomes for local populations. The report concludes with specific community demands for restoration, fair compensation, and the abandonment of a proposed coal-fired power plant.

• Mining operations have caused significant air pollution, primarily through dust emissions from bauxite extraction and transport on unpaved roads. This dust is reported to cause respiratory illnesses, such as sinusitis and pneumonia, and reduces agricultural productivity by hindering plant photosynthesis and pollination.
• Local communities have been dispossessed of their lands, often through the disregard of customary land rights. SMB has frequently claimed that disputed lands are state property to avoid recognizing these rights.
• Compensation provided to affected persons (PAPs) is described as derisory and insufficient to restore livelihoods. The process is characterized by a lack of transparency, with no adversarial census and no community access to the price matrix used for calculations.
• Water resources have been severely impacted by pollution from mine runoff, mud, and wastewater discharge from port facilities. Many communities lack access to clean drinking water, and some boreholes installed by SMB are reported as non-potable due to poor water quality.
• There is a reported increase in respiratory and gastric diseases among local populations, attributed to the inhalation of dust and consumption of polluted water. Additionally, there are reports of increased HIV/AIDS prevalence following the company's arrival.
• The audit found a total lack of participatory processes regarding Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and compensation. 100% of respondents stated they were never informed about the ESIA process or the census before implementation.
• Communities have demanded that SMB abandon the construction of a coal-fired power plant intended to provide energy for an alumina refinery, citing the technology as highly polluting.

APA

Natural Justice (2023). COMMUNITY AUDIT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THE SOCIÉTÉ MINIÈRE DE BOKÉ IN GUINEA. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/COMMUNITY-AUDIT-OF-ENVIRONMENTAL-AND-SOCIAL-IMPACTS-OF-THE-SOCIETE-MINIERE-DE-BOKE-IN-GUINEA.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. COMMUNITY AUDIT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THE SOCIÉTÉ MINIÈRE DE BOKÉ IN GUINEA. 2023. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/COMMUNITY-AUDIT-OF-ENVIRONMENTAL-AND-SOCIAL-IMPACTS-OF-THE-SOCIETE-MINIERE-DE-BOKE-IN-GUINEA.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=COMMUNITY AUDIT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THE SOCIÉTÉ MINIÈRE DE BOKÉ IN GUINEA |date=February 2023 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/COMMUNITY-AUDIT-OF-ENVIRONMENTAL-AND-SOCIAL-IMPACTS-OF-THE-SOCIETE-MINIERE-DE-BOKE-IN-GUINEA.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2023community, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{COMMUNITY AUDIT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THE SOCIÉTÉ MINIÈRE DE BOKÉ IN GUINEA}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/COMMUNITY-AUDIT-OF-ENVIRONMENTAL-AND-SOCIAL-IMPACTS-OF-THE-SOCIETE-MINIERE-DE-BOKE-IN-GUINEA.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }