ABSTRACT
380A new mining project is frequently only one of multiple developments planned or underway in the region of interest. This is especially the case in developing countries where new mines, new infrastructure and broad scale land use changes are taking place at unprecedented rates. Mine developers therefore face the challenge of appropriately assessing and managing cumulative impacts and risks related to mine development. These may include: induced social impacts from in-migration; change of social fabric of host communities; competition for labour; increased pressure on the carrying capacity of ecosystems or threats to flora and fauna due to the combined effects of mining operations in parallel with other activities; incremental contribution of dust emissions to the air shed; increasing and competing water use demands; increasing sediment loads; increasing road and river traffic (and transportation accidents); or climate change and unpredictability of climate patterns.
