Sign in Subscribe
Mining industry

Reko Diq Copper Mine Project: A Critical Examination of Environmental and Social Risks

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Human rights organisations and advocacy groups have sounded the alarm over the Reko Diq copper mine project in Balochistan, citing environmental and social risks associated with the project. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have been urged to reconsider their financing decisions due to the project's potential impacts on local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and the environment.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Reko Diq project is located in an intensely militarised region with a history of human rights abuses, making it challenging for civil society to engage effectively with the project.
  • The project's Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) ignores the presence of the Indigenous Baloch population, classifying them as an "ethnic minority."
  • RDMC has failed to provide robust commitments to mitigate the project's significant greenhouse gas emissions, which will increase Pakistan's national emissions and contribute to climate change.
  • The project's proposed energy source, a heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plant, will generate approximately 850,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) annually, exacerbating climate change.
  • Local workers have faced labour violations and been fired without explanation by military-owned security guards hired by Barrick Mining.
  • The project risks depleting or contaminating scarce groundwater sources, undermining crop irrigation and drinking water for animals and people.
  • The project's substantial water use and dust emissions can damage pasture vegetation, reduce crop yields, and contaminate fodder with heavy metals.

Statistics:

  • The Reko Diq project is set to generate approximately 850,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) annually.
  • 75% of the project's direct emissions are attributable to the combustion of HFO and diesel fuel.
  • Local workers allegedly faced labour violations and were fired without explanation by military-owned security guards on August 20, 2023.
  • The project will require significant land acquisition, which will restrict access to grazing lands and seasonal migration routes critical for livestock herders.
  • The mine has the potential to reshape the livelihoods of local communities, particularly those dependent on pastoralism and small-scale agriculture.

Sources:

  • Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
  • Accountability Counsel
  • AidWatch
  • Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM)
  • AMAN Maluku
  • Arab Watch Coalition
  • Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE)

Read more