Impacts for over half of all mining areas in world are undocumented: study

A recent article in Nature highlights the unexplored and potentially significant environmental and societal impacts of global mining activities.

Mining is a crucial part of our society, providing essential materials for our daily lives, whether it’s fossil fuels for energy, lithium for batteries, cobalt for smartphones, or neodymium for wind turbines. Despite its importance, we surprisingly have a limited understanding of the global mining sector and its effects on the environment and local communities due to substantial knowledge gaps.

These gaps result in a disjointed understanding of the industry, hindering researchers’ ability to monitor decarbonization efforts, inform policy decisions, and aid in decision-making processes.

Mining data gaps due to inconsistencies

The authors of the study highlight numerous inconsistencies in the data, with no discernible patterns. They note that data is absent for various types of commodities and locations due to a range of reasons, from incomplete reporting to illicit activities. Satellite imagery and other information sources corroborate this. Furthermore, people often do not record historical and abandoned mining sites.

The study reveals that the total global land used for mining is approximately 120,000 square kilometres. Surprisingly, people only document about 44% (53,000 sq km) of this area (67,000 sq km), leaving about 56% undocumented.

Russia hosts the majority of this undocumented production, followed by China, Indonesia, and Brazil. The United States takes the fifth rank in this regard. Interestingly, the authors could not find any information on mining production in Myanmar.

In a recent commentary, Victor Maus from the Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability Research Group of the IIASA Advancing Systems Analysis Program, and Tim Werner from the University of Melbourne, discuss the growing global demand for mineral resources.

"Maus notes that conducting independent research is essential to understanding the extent of risks that mining brings to the environment and global communities, as well as helping to identify major challenges and build public trust. Nevertheless, he states that this is impossible due to the lack of a comprehensive inventory of the world's mines and insufficient robust data on various aspects of mining operations, such as waste generation and pollution."

Limited data on global mining

Factors such as limited corporate reporting and the presence of abandoned, informal, or illegal mining sites attribute to the scarcity of data in the mining sector. The commentary alarmingly reveals that approximately half of the global impacts of mining remain undocumented.

To tackle this issue, Maus and Werner suggest four crucial measures. These include recognizing and addressing the global underestimation of mining impacts and risks; enhancing data collection and sharing among scientists; increasing corporate transparency in the mining industry; and employing advanced methods like remote sensing and artificial intelligence to bridge data gaps.

The scale and urgency of this issue are immense. Predictions indicate that the global demand for minerals, particularly for clean energy technologies, will surge in the upcoming decades. Therefore, it is essential to have thorough and transparent data on the impacts of mining. As the authors aptly state, “We can’t manage what we can’t measure.”

Addressing mining sector’s unmeasured impacts

The authors suggest four key strategies to address the ‘known unknowns’ in the mining sector. They propose that global mining studies should acknowledge data bias and completeness, including the extent of unofficial mining and commodity trading in a study area, as reported by media and national accounts. They urge researchers to collaborate and share data, as most mining impact studies are localized and cover small areas. As mining scales up, it’s crucial to address global impacts.

They also emphasize the need for researchers to identify the root causes of information gaps, which could stem from a lack of historical accountability, confidentiality issues, commercial interests, and regulation. The mining industry should also enhance the quality and quantity of its published data. To bridge data gaps, they recommend using techniques like remote sensing and artificial intelligence. Satellite data, smartphone sensors, and unmanned aerial vehicles could supplement reported data sources for mining sites.

The authors advocate for the creation of straightforward, centralized public data repositories where companies can upload information for public access. These online platforms could integrate information such as mines’ geographical locations, production quantities, water and land use, waste generation, and ownership.

The authors highlight that a significant portion of global mineral production may be illegal. A joint report published by the United Nations Environment Programme and Interpol in 2016 estimated the value of illegal mining at $12 billion-$48 billion every year. Illegal operations account for more than 80% of all gold mined in Colombia and Venezuela.

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