Environmental Management
Madagascar is a biodiversity-rich country with high levels of endemism (most of the plant and animal
species occur nowhere else on Earth). Ambatovy’s Mine is located within a species-rich region of
Madagascar at the southern end of the remaining Eastern Forest Corridor. Madagascar is also one of
the world’s poorest countries, in which local people are highly dependent on natural resources for their
livelihood. These factors combine to create a challenging context for a large mining operation.
To meet this challenge, Ambatovy has developed interrelated environmental and social policies that aim
to ensure no net loss, and preferably a net gain, of biodiversity while ensuring socioeconomic benefits for
local populations.
To deliver on these policies and offer outstanding environmental results, Ambatovy will:
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Put in place adaptive, state-of-the-art environmental management plans to ensure compliance with
the highest national and international standards throughout all phases of the Project (Construction,
Operations, and Closure).
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Avoid, minimize, and mitigate environmental impacts and compensate for residual impacts through
the implementation of a multi-faceted biodiversity offsets program.
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Anticipate and manage environmental risks through stakeholder engagement, public information
and consultation, transparent communication, and adaptive management to address emerging
environmental issues.
Environmental Management Plan
As a responsible mining enterprise, Ambatovy adheres to stringent environmental standards including
the Equator Principles, the World Bank Group’s IFC Performance Standards and the principles of the
Business and Biodiversity Offsets Program (BBOP). Ambatovy’s Environmental Management Plan (EMP)
provides the framework that ensures that all issues identified during the Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment (ESIA) are addressed through appropriate mitigation and monitoring.
Ambatovy works in close collaboration with the Malagasy regulator, the National Environment Office
(ONE, in French), which must approve all environmental plans for implementation. Mitigation measures,
together with strict monitoring systems, ensure that impacts are minimized. Land mined by Ambatovy will
be progressively reclaimed and planted with replacement forest to restore ecosystem services. Noise, air,
water, soil quality, and biodiversity are monitored on an ongoing basis.
Minimizing the Impact of the Pipeline
Ambatovy’s environmental program aims to collaborate with the government and local NGOs to enhance
forest connectivity in targeted areas of the Ankeniheny-Zahamena corridor that are impacted by the
Pipeline. A contract to rehabilitate 100 ha of this corridor has already been awarded to an NGO and
restoration activities are well underway.
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The Pipeline avoids native forests wherever possible and only passes through near-primary zonal
forest within the first two km of the Mine Site. This loss of zonal forest will be offset in the near
future as the forest is rehabilitated and residual impacts are accounted for in the biodiversity
offsets program.
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During the rest of its route, the Pipeline avoids forests and protected areas by routing through
old slash-and-burn patches or passing underneath expansive waterways and unavoidable
forest fragments, using the latest technologies such as horizontal directional drilling (HDD).
After Construction, forest connectivity in specific areas will be re-established through targeted
reforestation activities aimed at linking and integrating the remaining forests into a fully
functioning ecosystem.
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AMBATOVY – SUPPORTING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
