2010
AMBATOVY SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
19
C1. Environmental Performance
Biodiversity Strategies
We have taken a multifaceted approach to biodiversity,
utilizing six main strategies:
Mitigation
Ambatovy is undertaking biodiversity management in a
structured manner that follows the mitigation hierarchy
adopted by BBOP across all aspects of biodiversity.
Avoidance
Where possible, the Project will avoid areas particularly
sensitive to impact from our activities. Examples of this include
the diversion of the pipeline route and the creation of barriers to
protect conservation areas from construction activities.
Minimization
Impacts are minimized wherever possible through optimized
planning. For example, the mine footprint corresponds
precisely to the exploitable ore body and involves minimal
excess forest clearance.
Rescue (Relocation and Translocation)
Ambatovy developed a substantial impact mitigation program
for the construction phase that includes:
3
Repetition of full biological surveys prior to each clearing
to develop taxa-specific mitigation measures such as:
fitting lemurs with radio collars to monitor their ability
to migrate away from impact areas and relocate to
refuge areas; identifying plant species of concern and
locating them off-site to avoid the risk of extinction; and
salvaging plants to nurseries and/or propagating them.
3
Directional and slow-paced forest clearance, which
allows mobile fauna to migrate away from impacted
areas to adjacent refuge areas. For the less mobile
fauna, manual salvaging is used to relocate animals
into safe conservation zones. A crew of more than 80
expertly trained technicians identifies and salvages
all small mammals, stranded lemurs, certain birds
and reptiles. Experts, primarily Malagasy biologists
from various universities and non-governmental
organizations, supervise the salvaging process.
Relocated animals are subsequently monitored in the
refuge areas.
3
For the aquatics program, large retention dams are
used to prevent sediments from impacting downstream
watersheds and the introduction of exotic species.
Repair, Reinstate and Restore
Ambatovy will conduct progressive footprint rehabilitation
consistent with the historical ecology of the landscape.
Offset and Compensate
Ambatovy’s multifaceted biodiversity offsets program
comprises a series of on-site and off-site conservation areas
considered to be biodiversity offsets, which include:
3
On-Site Azonal Forest Habitat:
Two areas of the
azonal forest habitat growing over the ore body have
been set aside, despite the valuable nickel ore lying
beneath them, to preserve examples of this habitat.
The azonal forest surface area is equal to 212.33 ha
(26.4% of the total prime quality habitat) and will not
be mined. During the Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment, the azonal forest habitats were recognized
as a rare habitat type compared to the more typical
zonal forests of the Eastern Forest Corridor.
3
Mine Area Conservation Forest:
Ambatovy has
designated 4,900 ha as “buffer zone” around the
mine footprint, destined to be long-term conservation
and multiple-use forest areas. This area has already
faced human-induced pressure. Our aim is to ensure
local community access to medicinal plants and
other sources of livelihood through the promotion of
sustainable forest use. The azonal conservation zones
mentioned above are adjacent to these areas. These
efforts will conserve rare habitats and their fauna
and flora and offset the Project’s impact on the mine
footprint forest. The majority of this forest lies within a
land lease of 7,596 ha with the Malagasy government.
A Pioneering Biodiversity Offsets Program
Ambatovy’s biodiversity offsets program has been designed and implemented as a pilot project within the framework of
the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Program (BBOP), a voluntary partnership between companies, financial institutions,
governments and civil society organizations. BBOP seeks to develop an international framework for the design and
implementation of biodiversity offsets, particularly for use in developing countries lacking their own offsets policies and
legislation. Other BBOP pilot projects are underway in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and North America, and
cover a range of sectors including oil and gas, mining, tourism and real estate.
Ambatovy’s offsets activities are designed to adhere to the BBOP principles and guidelines and produce quantifiable
biodiversity and socio-economic benefits. Calculations are used to determine residual losses in biodiversity due to
Ambatovy’s activities and the gains achieved by the offsets. Socio-economic assessments are also made to determine the
impact of offsetting on local populations and the scale of compensatory measures that may be required. Ambatovy’s offsets
program is monitored in consultation with BBOP through annual assurance framework meetings and with the support and
guidance of experts associated with the program.
BBOP has published a set of ten principles on biodiversity offsets supported by the 50 member organizations of the
BBOP Advisory Group. These principles are accompanied by interim guidance and resource papers on the design and
implementation of offsets. These include case studies from the BBOP pilots, of which the Ambatovy Project is one of the first.
The full case study is available at
