Gold mining in French Guiana: A multi-criteria classification of mining projects for risk assessment at the territorial scale. Issue 1 (March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scammacca, Ottone; Gunzburger, Yann; Mehdizadeh, Rasool
• Is Part Of: Extractive industries and society. Volume 8:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 32
• Page End: 43
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Subjects: Gold mining -- Territory -- French guiana -- Risk assessment -- Classification; Mineral industries -- Periodicals; Gas industry -- Periodicals; Petroleum industry and trade -- Periodicals; 338.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exis.2020.06.020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2214-790X

Abstract

Abstract: Mining is the source and target of various risks, that generally exceed the mine-site perimeter, and have impacts at larger scales. Consequently, mining risk analysis should be informed both by the structured characterization of mining projects and by a holistic understanding of the system where mining projects are located and interact. This is rarely the case in practice. In French Guiana (FG) gold exploitation plays a critical role within territory dynamics, and this activity takes a great variety of forms. However, no structured description of mining projects is available in scientific literature regarding FG. This paper proposes a multi-criteria classification of gold mining projects in FG with the objective to develop standardized gold mining project types for risk assessment at the territory level. First, the different types of mining projects are briefly presented and their specifities described. Then, a classification is proposed, based on the data obtained from different sources and validated by local experts. Finally, for each project type, an overview of the main potential impacts at the territory level is presented. This is a first step for the development of a systematic methodology for mining risk assessment in FG. It may be extended to other countries and commodities. Highlights: Gold mining involves a great variety of techniques and impacts that are difficult to outline and analyze at broader spatial scales. In order to compare different risk-based scenarios in french guiana at the territory scale, six different gold mine types were defined and characterized. It is shown that impact nature and intensity vary according to the mine type. The importance of safety measures and their key-role for risk assessment and decision-making is highlighted. We consider mines as a matter of land planning rather than local industrial projects.