How to Address the Social Aspect in Mining Projects
Mining projects, like any investment project, are developed in a complex and dynamic social environment that conditions the progress and development of the project. Therefore, it is essential to consider the social aspect in investment projects. But what is the scope of this social aspect?
The first thing to consider is understanding the social environment of the project, that is, the details of the communities or localities where it takes place. Hence, baseline social studies and perception studies, as well as the identification of stakeholders and indigenous peoples, are key to determining how this social environment is configured.
Based on the knowledge of the project's social environment, it is necessary to design and implement a stakeholder engagement process that allows: i) a harmonious and respectful relationship with other social actors from the early stages of the project and throughout its life cycle, prioritizing policies and behaviors that maintain good neighborliness; ii) anticipating risks and potential social conflicts, as well as addressing and managing the concerns, expectations, inquiries, and possible complaints of stakeholders; and iii) generating spaces for citizen participation during the environmental certification process and throughout the project's life.
Once the environment is known and adequately related to social actors, the social development of localities and communities is promoted. Social Management Plans and Corporate Social Responsibility Programs are instruments that should foster this development, focusing on generating shared value, thus contributing to the transformation of the social environment.
The WSP Socioeconomics team strategically addresses social complexity by implementing social studies, social management interventions, designing and executing citizen participation mechanisms, and defining and implementing social management or corporate social responsibility programs that include a shared value strategy. This is done with the aim of incorporating intercultural, gender, sustainability, and human rights approaches.