Summary
At the species level several mitigations will be implemented to reduce or
eliminate the possibility of species loss in the mine area. These include:
Species level
•
provision for on-site and off-site azonal conservation areas, which
will also provide protection for vulnerable species;
•
continue to conduct on-site and off-site surveys to confirm the
presence of rare species away from the disturbance area and so
reduce or eliminate the list of species of concern, especially for flora;
•
establish species-level conservation programs including collection,
identification, transplantation and cultivation of any remaining flora
species of concern before construction begins;
•
preservation of seasonal downstream flows to maintain natural
ecosystem functions and aquatic biodiversity; and
•
relocation or collection of selected rare fauna before site clearing.
Through these mitigations, the Ambatovy Project is committed to ensure
that viable populations of rare species are secure during construction,
operations and following closure of the mine. Monitoring programs will
be implemented for flora and fauna, especially to confirm the status of
on-site azonal conservation areas during operations. Monitoring will also
be important to evaluate the effectiveness of progressive reclamation
efforts.
Reclamation and Closure
A reclamation and closure plan has been prepared as part of this EA.
This document will be updated throughout the project life to reflect
changing conditions and input of regulators and stakeholders.
Progressive reclamation will be implemented where possible. Main
goals of reclamation are:
•
the reclamation and closure design will ensure that long-term
physical and chemical stability is provided for disturbed surfaces;
•
upon cessation of operations, the area will be decommissioned and
rehabilitated to restore the site to forested habitat consistent with the
surrounding zonal forest; and
•
revegetation research and implementation of progressive
reclamation will guide the refinement of concepts for final closure.
Reclamation of exploration
disturbance
The mine site is in a near-primary forest matrix at the western edge of
the Ankeniheny–Zahamena forest conservation planning area. The
primary objective of reclamation at the mine site will be to maintain
biological integrity of landscapes, ecosystems, communities, habitats, as
well as fauna and flora populations. Forest protection on the mining
lease will be planned, implemented and enforced through the forest
management agreement being developed by the project proponent with
the Malagasy Forestry Service.
January 2006
Ambatovy Project — 13
