Overview of I t f Mi iImpacts of Mining

to Biodiversity

Michael J EdrialMichael J. Edrial

Conservation Science and Research Department

Haribon Foundation for Conservation of Natural Resources Inc.

Biodiversity (Biological Diversity)

Variety of all life forms on earth

Philippines

-52,000 species with 13,500 species of plants comprising 5 percent of the world’s total flora and about 68 percent of thepercent of the world s total flora and about 68 percent of the country’s species ranking in the top ten in the world.

Cont.

- considered as the most megadiverse country in terms of land d it d d it i fl d f U f t t l th idensity and density in flora and fauna. Unfortunately, the species in the Philippines are considered among the most threatened in the world considered as the hottest of hotspots or the most severely threatened of the megadiverse countries.

ture soure: Internet

Decline of forest cover is alarming. Only 3-6% of the original primary forest remains (around 1M hectares)! The smallest figure of all the countries in the region (except Singapore)

1990s Late 1980s

South Cotabato - food basket of Mindanao with agriculture as primary source of development/income (e.g. rice, corn,

t i l b )coconut, pineapple, banana)

NN

Mount Matutum Protected Landscape

22 Restricted-range species(Mindanao Endemic species) ( p )

13 Globally threatened bird speciesspecies(9 Threatened Restricted-range species or Mindanao Th t d E d i i )Threatened Endemic species)

With one (1) bird species Endemic or found only in Mt. Matutum and Busa-

Snowy Browed FlycatcherSnowy-Browed Flycatcher

Ficedula hyperythra matutumensis

Philippine Eagle(Philippine National Bird)

- Largest eagle in the world

- among the 160 globally most Critically Endangered Bird Species in the world (fromSpecies in the world (from about 10,000 bird species)

- estimated 250 individuals leftestimated 250 individuals left

- habitat range: 50-100 km2 per pairp

- threatened due to habitat destruction and hunting

Impacts

Mining has the potential to affect biodiversity throughout the life cycle g yof a project, both directly (at the mine site) and indirectly (across a widerindirectly (across a wider landscape).

Direct impactsDirect impacts

• Water loss• Water loss and pollution

• Air pollution

• Species andSpecies and Habitat loss

Oth• Other services

Water loss and ll ti

• Altered hydrological and

pollutionAltered hydrological and

hydrogeological regimes (e.g. decrease of water level)

• Increased heavy metals, acidity or pollutionpollution

• Increased turbidity (i.e. suspended solids)

• Risk of groundwaterRisk of groundwater contamination

Ai ll ti• Increased ambient

Air pollution

particulates (i.e. dust)

• Increased ambient sulphur dioxide (SO2)

• Increased ambient oxides of nitrogen (NOX)nitrogen (NOX)

• Increased ambient heavy metals

Species and Habitat ploss

• Loss of ecosystems, habitats and functions

• Loss of endemic and/or threatened speciesthreatened species

• Loss of important plant p pspecies with potential to cure other known illness/disease (e.g. AIDS, cancer)

Impacts on S i l

• Loss of access to timber and

Service values• Loss of access to timber and NTFPs (e.g. medicinal plants, fuelwood, etc.)fuelwood, etc.)

• Loss of access to grazing for livestock

I i d t i• Impaired ecosystem services (e.g. soil and flood protection, watershed protection climatewatershed protection, climate modification)

N

N 6 25’ 30” to 6 37’

E 124 59’ to 125 10’

Overlaps with critical watershed areas that will affect environmental landscape and biodiversity (risk of

Np y (

pollution, siltation, flashfloods and landslides)

N 6 25’ 30” to 6 37’

E 124 59’ to 125 10’

N N 6 25’ 30” to 6 37’

E 124 59’ t 125 10’E 124 59’ to 125 10’c

“Changes of erosion to occur in the target areas are HIGHChanges of erosion to occur in the target areas are HIGHtaking into consideration rolling to rugged topography”.

- Annual environment Work Program Jan.-Dec. 2008

Mining Impact to 3 Major River System (directly affecting 3 provinces in the region: South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur - 1.2M population

Balangi River (flows (northwest to Mindanao river then to the

Padada river

Moro Gulf)

Padada river (flows eastward to Davao Gulf

Buayan River System (drains to Saranggani Bay to the Southeast)

Issue: There is a great Need for conservation

-Deforestation decreases groundwater levelDeforestation decreases groundwater level. Will affect around 20,000 hectares of farmlands of 3 provinces.

I D f t ti i tIssue: Deforestation increases poverty - as a number of people directly dependent on forest resources for food and livelihoodresources for food and livelihood.

Issue: Rehabilitation and restoration activities to atleast 5000 hectares of affected area will need around 55-88 million trees at the cost of 4-6 billion pesos for wildlings alone

Issue: Irreversible and permanent damage to biodiversity with local extinctions possible.

“Not only have the oil, gas and mining industriesnot helped the poorest in developing countriesnot helped the poorest in developing countries,they have often made them worse off. Scores ofrecent academic studies and many of bank’s

t di fi d fi di th town studies confirmed our findings thatcountries which rely primarily on extractiveindustries tend to have higher levels of poverty,industries tend to have higher levels of poverty,child morbidity and mortality, civil war,corruption and totalitarianism than those with

di ifi d i ”more diversified economies.”

Dr Emil Salim World Bank Extractive IndustriesDr. Emil Salim, World Bank Extractive IndustriesReview 2004 (EIR). UK Financial Times on 16June 2004.

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