How to reconcile mining and biodiversity preservation?
An ecosystem that has been damaged, degraded or destroyed is not a lost cause. This project outlines a case study in Guinea, where the mining company Rio Tinto successfully used ecological restoration.
How can mining and biodiversity preservation be reconciled? This question was chosen as a thesis subject in 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, during a Master's degree in integrated land management and planning in Paris. The reason: the state of Guinea, where the mining industry directly and indirectly contributes to 36% of the nation's GDP.
In this research project conducted in partnership with the University of Montpellier 2, CNRS (Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive de Montpellier) and Rio Tinto Simandou, the objective was to develop an ecological restoration approach to help recover local ecosystems in the Pic de Fon region, in south-eastern Guinea.
To achieve this, several months were first spent conducting bibliographical research on mining in Guinea and other countries. Rio Tinto's environmental team in Guinea was then joined under the supervision of Dr. James Aronson from CNRS. The fieldwork allowed for the characterization of different vegetation types and the selection of candidate species for ecological restoration. A vegetation map covering the region from Canga-East to the top of the Simandou range was also produced.
The results enabled the description of the landscape organization of the Pic de Fon Classified Forest and the identification of the potential for ecological restoration and rehabilitation. This work provides a framework to reconcile the inevitable conflicts between mining and biodiversity, while promoting the well-being of local populations.
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