Faiza Tehseen

Sustainable mining practices are direly needed to be introduced in Pakistan to protect the natural sources from being harmed by the operations.

“Mining operations, if not regulated, can result in environmental degradation, water contamination, and ecological destruction. All these factors disproportionately affect indigenous flora, fauna and communities living close to mining sites,” emphasised Muhammad Yaqub Shah, principal geologist with Global Mining Company Private Limited, an Islamabad-based firm.

Talking to WealthPK, he said that the most favourable form of environmental stewardship pertained to ecological protection and restoration with the involvement of indigenous communities. “The conservation and restoration of ‘land parcels’ is greatly helpful for local ecological processes.” Shah said, “The current mining process has significant environmental impacts, including deforeststion, habitat destruction, ecological imbalance, water cotamination, land toxication, and carbon emmissions.”

He said that mining companies needed to abide by social responsibility and should take steps to minimise environmental impact and to provide health facilities and employment to the communities living around the mining sites. “It is important for the companies to protect the natural sources from destruction during their operations.” “A balance between the economic gains, environmental stewardship and social responsibility is a must,” he said.

“Leading mining companies are investing in innovative technologies – closed-loop water systems or repeated use of water and effective use of renewable energy -- to make mining operations more sustainable regarding waste management, water usage, and power consumption. These technologies are not only cost-effective but also helpful in reducing the carbon footprint caused by mining operations.”

The geologist said that laws did exist in Pakistan to address the conservation and restoration issues, but their enforcement was lacking.  He said the United Nations Sustainable Goal 16 was the global framework for companies to incorporate sustainable consumption and production strategies in their operations. He said that there was a dire need to introduce stringent regulations around social impacts, environmental protection and waste management. 

He called for involvement of the private sector, non-government organisations, local communities and other stakeholders for sustainable mining.  Meanwhile, talking to WealthPK, Muhammad Yousuf, a mining engineer, said, “By adopting the responsible approach, the mining sector can not only continue to meet global mineral demand but can also act as the environmental safeguard. So, sustainable mining is no longer a choice but a necessity.”

He said though international companies were ensuring sustainable mining practices, a good number of medium or small-scale miners were not. “Mining operations bring development and improve local economy, providing jobs, and other facilities, but they should not come at the cost of ecological destruction,” Yousuf emphasised. 

Credit: INP-WealthPk