Nandeshasho Nickanor
The extractive industries stand at a critical crossroads, because while the world demands resources, there are also calls for urgent action to protect our natural environment. Mining, often perceived solely as extractive, holds a powerful opportunity to contribute meaningfully to global biodiversity goals. By embedding biodiversity and community well-being into operational DNA, the sector can demonstrate that development and conservation are not opposing forces but complementary pillars of sustainable progress.
Biodiversity as an operational priority
This goes beyond compliance but is a conscious integration guided by a company’s environmental policy. Through efforts such as habitat restoration, biodiversity monitoring, and strategic partnerships with government entities, NGOs, and private sector collaborators, mining companies can operate responsibly while maintaining efficiency. In fact, when sustainability and conservation are seen as complementary rather than competing priorities, they unlock a new dimension of operational excellence. By embracing nature-positive practices throughout the life of a mine, companies can commit to a net positive impact on biodiversity, demonstrating that progress and preservation can coexist.However, this demands a mature Environmental Management System, one that doesn’t merely tick regulatory boxes but actively drives prevention, protection, and restoration. It must be built to identify and evaluate both actual and potential environmental impacts, with mitigation measures that seek to avoid them where possible or minimise them where necessary. These efforts are rooted in a strong Environmental Impact Assessment process, aligned with the requirements of the Environmental Management Act and relevant regulations.
When restoration becomes part of the operational fabric, conservation gains momentum. Through concurrent rehabilitation efforts, ecosystems begin their journey toward renewal even before mining concludes. With guidance from a robust environmental management system, companies can work hand in hand with stakeholders, incorporating their collective wisdom with operational insight to create strategies that protect and rebuild ecosystems, ensuring conservation is a daily decision.
Strategic water stewardship
Water is a key example of where and how mining can reshape its impact. Through closed-loop systems and innovative technologies, companies can reclaim and reuse process water, achieving high reuse targets while minimising environmental footprint. The key lies in setting clear monthly and annual water use goals, constantly measuring performance against them, and engaging dedicated experts in water stewardship. Every maintained pipe and every avoided leak adds up to saved resources, lowered costs, and a culture that respects one of our most vital assets. Awareness campaigns, infrastructure investment, and accurate data reporting contribute to a responsible water strategy that aligns with global sustainable development goals.
People at the heart of sustainability
In the world of mining, systems alone aren’t enough. People are at the heart of sustainable mining. Environmental awareness and competence training across employees and contractors ensures that the entire workforce understands how their actions affect the environment and how they can be part of the solution. Sustainability becomes a shared value and an operational principle.
Beyond mining
Mining’s role doesn’t end when the last mineral is extracted. The sector can be a springboard for sustainable livelihoods that extend far beyond its life. OMDis, a Section 21 non-profit company established by Namdeb as its Town Transformation Agency, exemplifies how mining operations can contribute to long-term community development through investments in infrastructure, SME support, and skills training. This kind of inclusive planning fosters resilience and economic diversification, empowering communities to thrive long after mine closure.
Stakeholder forums are essential to this journey, but they must evolve. True co-creation goes beyond consultation. It means setting shared goals, using scientific data to inform decisions, and creating transparent governance structures that build trust. Periodically shifting these forums from boardrooms to site visits allows stakeholders to witness operations firsthand, deepening their understanding and enabling more meaningful contribution.
There is immense untapped value in the areas where mining operates. The key is to uncover and elevate this potential through cross-sector partnerships. Whether it’s ecological tourism, cultural heritage, or education, the future landscape can reflect more than extraction. Even existing infrastructure, roads, open pits, historic buildings and machinery can be preserved to tell the story of mining while serving new purposes. With thoughtful planning, these assets become part of the region’s identity and support ventures such as tourism and generating societal value and economic opportunity in a post-mining world.
By committing to being good today, the mining sector, often seen as a symbol of consumption, can become a force for regeneration through embracing environmental responsibility, empowering people, and reimagining what legacy truly means for a better tomorrow.
*Nandeshasho Nickanor is an environmental manager at Namdeb.
