Comparative analyses of mine-related impacts using GIS

• In Event: Comparative mining governance in Latin America: problems of theory and methodology

Abstract

Land use change due to mining is often distinguishable in satellite imagery. As such, GIS and remote sensing are suitable tools for the assessment of mining’s spatial impacts. However, cross national comparative studies on the spatial impacts of mining are very rare, with most studies focusing on the impacts of a single mine or mining region. Adapting existing approaches to comparative queries presents both opportunities and challenges. For example, only a handful of processing technologies are applied across major commodities like copper, lead-zinc and nickel, meaning that the area of a mine is typically composed of a consistent set of features (e.g. tailings, dam, waste rock dump, milling area, water ponds) that can be analyzed for comparative study. However, assessing spatial impacts which are not so visible (e.g. groundwater drawdown and contamination, and social conflict) remains an ongoing technical challenge. This is reflected in the literature, with the majority of GIS and remote sensing studies focusing only on loss of vegetation (which is highly visible). This paper argues that some comparative studies on the spatial impacts of mining are readily achievable, while others still require methodological or technical advancement. This presents particular challenges in the comparative study of the actual and potential impacts of mines on water resources in Latin America under conditions of climate change. We discuss preliminary results of comparative GIS-based analyses of these relationships in Chile, Peru, Colombia and Central America, and suggest some possible responses to the analytical challenges noted above.

Author

• Tim T Werner