How the Ambatovy Project is Applying the BBOP Principles
21
BBOP Pilot Project Case Study – Ambatovy Project
will be to establish a functional zoning that results in the avoidance of
BIODIVERSITY LOSS
, which will be
taken into account in offset calculations, again based on a fair assessment of the resulting additionality.
Reforestation activities to reconnect residual patches of primary forests at the perimeter of the slurry
pipeline right of way within the Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor will contribute to an overall corridor
defragmentation. The areas to be reforested sit outside of the SAPM and will be accounted for in the offset
GAIN
calculation as clearly additional outcomes.
3. Adherence to the mitigation hierarchy:
Given the Project’s setting (high regional biodiversity and endemicity), rigorous biodiversity management is
necessary to meet its policy of ‘no net harm to biodiversity’. Before considering biodiversity offsets, the
Ambatovy Project implemented appropriate avoidance and minimisation measures according to the
MITIGATION HIERARCHY
, for example:
AVOIDANCE
:
analysis of pipeline route alternatives, including the study of 21 major re-routes to avoid
ecologically, socially and culturally sensitive areas; avoidance of other sensitive areas during the
development of other Project components whenever possible. Also, set-aside of an area of the ore body
that would otherwise be mined as the foundation of the on-site azonal habitat conservation initiative.
Minimisation:
reduction of the surface area subject to impacts through appropriate design and
implementation.
– Early (2004 / 05) impact mitigation through the rehabilitation of 50 km of exploration roads and
platforms in the mine area.
– Mitigation of impacts following forest clearance through biodiversity rescue and management programs
(lemurs, small mammals,
herpetofauna
and fish).
– Management of surges in total suspended solids to protect water quality and aquatic biodiversity in
seven affected watersheds downstream of the mine site using large retention dams (at a cost of US$ 40
million).
Restoration / rehabilitation:
planned progressive rehabilitation of the mine site footprint to create a
replacement forest with reinstated biodiversity values and reduce the net residual impact.
4. Limits to what can be offset:
The Ambatovy Project currently believes that all its direct residual impacts on biodiversity are
OFFSETABLE
. No
habitat or species (flora and fauna)
ENDEMIC
to the mine footprint alone have been identified during the
thorough investigations to date. Nevertheless, given the high levels of biodiversity and endemicity around the
Project, field studies will continue as the mine is developed and forest clearance progresses.
In contrast, the Project believes that there are limits to offsetting certain social impacts. For local communities,
there were few legal and cultural constraints on the exploitation of natural resources and biodiversity prior to
the arrival of the mine. In light of forest clearance during development of the mine and the Project’s
commitment to conserve the surrounding forests by introducing a zoned approach to forest use, the local
communities’ existing way of life, including unsustainable use of biodiversity, will undoubtedly be disrupted.
The Ambatovy Project believes that this disruption cannot be entirely offset and also that, in light of dwindling
forest resources and population growth, it is desirable from a
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
perspective to seek
to break the cycle of unsustainable use by local communities and replace it with a more sustainable model.
