Mountain mining’s unique challenges

Pablo Wainstein and Lukas Arenson help mining companies address challenges in the high Andes. supplied

When it comes to mining, there are few more challenging environments than South America’s high Andes. Here, scarce water resources are being further strained as climate change shrinks glaciers, forcing mining companies to balance their needs with those of communities that need water for farming.

And with growing public perception that mining contributes to the degradation of permafrost and glaciers through excavation and dust, obtaining social licence to operate has become a major focus for mining companies in the region.

Dr. Pablo Wainstein, senior hydraulic civil engineer with BGC Engineering Inc., a Canada-based international applied earth sciences consulting firm, says glacial and periglacial (permafrost) environments in the high Andes are particularly sensitive to mining-induced disturbances and climate change.

“Geohazard characteristics are rapidly changing in mountainous areas around the world in response to climate change; however, the extreme dryness and dynamic regulatory environment are unique to the high Andes. Large mining projects must account for potential risks associated with these challenges” he says.

“The dependency of some communities on runoff from glaciers during the summer once snow is gone is probably more pronounced in the Andes, as compared with North America,” says Dr. Wainstein. “In addition, glaciers have been showcased as the symbol of climate change in South America, presenting additional socio-political challenges that mining companies need to navigate”. 

“BGC helps mining clients address these technical and social challenges,” says Dr. Lukas Arenson, a principal geotechnical engineer with the company.

“Foremost, we do believe in science and commit a significant amount of our company resources to research and development. We regularly collaborate with academic institutions in Canada and across the globe,” he says.

“Through this focus on innovation, BGC has developed advanced modelling tools that help mining companies operating in the high Andes with water management plans, providing solutions supported by scientific evidence and site data,” adds Dr. Arenson.

“In addition, our understanding of the strategic and legal implications that current and proposed environmental regulations may have to our clients’ projects allows us to help them navigate the important social challenges,” he says. “It is critical to understand that the environmental permitting processes in South America are significantly different from Canada.” 

While water-related issues are often contentious in mining projects, Dr. Wainstein believes climate change will bring geohazards more into focus as well.

“Mining projects require geohazard management, particularly in light of climate change, which is altering hazard characteristics in mountainous environments around the world at unprecedented rates,” he says.

For more information, visit  bgcengineering.ca.

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