In their work to maintain conformance with the disaster management aspects of new tailings standards, mines in South Africa are recognising that sound community relationships lie at the heart of successful implementation.
According to Andries Fourie, principal technologist in disaster and risk management at SRK Consulting, there are complexities in the South African context that can create challenges in continuous compliance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). Principle 13 of the GISTM requires the owners or operators of a tailings storage facility (TSF) to develop and apply a detailed Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP), while Principle 14 deals with the long-term recovery process following a catastrophic TSF failure.
“With its sensitivity to environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects, the GISTM specifies that the EPRP must be community focused and must be co-developed with project-affected people,” explained Fourie. “To ensure that the EPRP can be effectively implemented, mines must also engage with public sector agencies, first responders, local authorities and other relevant institutions – to assess the capability of those emergency services that will respond in the event of a disaster.”
Among those most affected by a TSF incident are people in the vicinity of the TSF, which may include informal settlements. He highlighted that, in the context of the country’s high unemployment rate, it is common that mining operations will tend to attract many people seeking economic opportunities – even if there is insufficient formal housing in the area.
“Engagement with informal settlements can be complicated by the often fluid movement of people into and out of these areas,” he said. “Sound long-term engagement is often best conducted with the assistance from established leadership structures, and in many cases, these may not formally exist – or may change rapidly as people may not be permanently settled.”
Fourie noted that this varied considerably from the situation in certain European countries where he has conducted similar GISTM work, where communities around mines tended to be more stable and well established. Basic municipal services are also often not available in mine communities in South Africa, which creates a greater reliance on the mine and can strain relations.
“With these dynamics at play, it is sometimes difficult for mines to build constructive dialogue, understanding and trust with project-affected people,” he said, “and this is really the foundation for an effective EPRP process.”
SRK Consulting principal environmental scientist Kavandren Moodley concurred, highlighting that the engagement of project-affected people in emergency preparedness and risk assessment is essential for enhancing overall risk management.
“This approach deepens one’s understanding of actions to take in the event of a TSF failure, ultimately reducing the consequences of an emergency and improving safety outcomes,” said Moodley. “Establishing strong relationships with project-affected people is fundamental when discussing TSFs, as this is a sensitive topic requiring a solid foundation of trust for open dialogue.”
He noted that, in SRK’s experience in the field, building this foundation is a gradual and ongoing process, which usually needs the guidance of specialist expertise and local experience. With time and consistent transparency, trust can be fostered, making disclosure a key element in strengthening the relationship between mines and project-affected people.
In terms of EPRP implementation, Fourie said mines often face an added challenge in their engagements with local authorities and government agencies, who frequently lack disaster response capacity. This makes these bodies reticent to commit to the EPRP in the way that the GISTM envisages.
“A meaningful EPRP really needs the mine to join hands with other relevant bodies who are mandated to provide disaster management services,” he said. “Where the capacity is not there, however, the responsibility upon mines can become even more onerous.”
In these cases, one of the constructive responses taken by a large South African mining company has been to start helping local authorities to rebuild their capacity. After identifying the deficiencies, the company embarked upon a dedicated programme to empower municipalities to render the expected services for GISTM compliance.
Moodley further highlighted the role of broader stakeholders, including environmental activists, who value greater engagement efforts. Building constructive relationships with these groups can enable mining companies to address social and environmental concerns more holistically and collaboratively, extending beyond direct project-affected communities.
“This inclusiveness aligns with modern ESG expectations and strengthens a company’s social license to operate,” he said. “Disclosing information is one important aspect of a process that could transform activist scrutiny into productive dialogue. “
“It is important to understand that the GISTM is strong on the theme of engagement – and this implies building an EPRP collaboratively, rather than simply trying to impose a unilateral plan,” said Fourie. “For mines and practitioners working towards conformance with the GISTM, this means understanding the prevailing environment and working with project-affected people to make the plan relevant and effective.”
