SAGES: Systems Approach for Greener, Eco-efficient and Sustainable mineral resource management

Sustainable management of mineral resources requires a balance of economic development and responsible governance on the one side and community benefits together with environmental protection on the other. The Philippines is the world's fifth most mineral-rich country with metal resource assets valued over USD 1 trillion, but their exploitation has not been maximised. Benefits to the country by the resource sector remain <1.4% of GDP since 2006 and mining is perceived negatively by the public.

We propose to develop the Systems Approach for Greener, Eco-efficient and Sustainable (SAGES) mineral resource management framework as a unifying framework that will support Philippine mining in its transition into an economically sustainable, socially responsible and environmentally sensitive industry. The core idea behind SAGES is that transforming legacy mines into future mines and mine wastes into secondary resources can simultaneously reduce waste generation, provide additional economic benefits to stakeholders, empower host communities and improve rehabilitation programmes and therefore provide the paradigm shift necessary to stimulate growth of the resource extraction sector in the Philippines.

The partnership and project development (PPD) stage is initially organized in six themes: (i) advanced waste characterization; (ii) reprocessing of wastes; (iii) repurposing of by-products; (iv) treatment/remediation of wastewater, mine drainage and polluted soils; (v) rehabilitation and monitoring via bioindicators; and (vi) multi-criteria systems analysis across the mining value chain. These themes will be further streamlined based on the needs and expectations of all stakeholders (mining companies, national and local government units, civil society organisations and host communities), as informed by the PPD process. Stakeholder engagements during PPD will ensure that the SAGES framework i) is customisable and scalable to local contexts; ii) accounts for waste heterogeneity; iii) creates new markets and socio-economic-cultural opportunities; and iv) transforms mining-related activities into reliable tax revenue streams.

The SAGES mineral resource management framework also envisions post-mining land uses that are climate- and culture-sensitive instead of traditional "replanting" strategies, an approach that creates value to host communities even after mine closure. The multifaceted problems of the mining and resource sectors can be addressed effectively by pooling together industry leaders, socio-environmental scientists and technology experts and developing an overarching framework capable of integrating, translating and communicating data across various disciplines.

The PPD process and refinement of the SAGES mineral resource management framework will be delivered by an international consortium including geology, mineral processing and climate experts from Imperial College London, the Grantham Institute for climate change and the environment and the London Natural History Museum, chemical and systems engineers from De La Salle University, waste management and socio-environmental scientists from Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology and Central Mindanao University, multiple mining companies (Agatha Mining Ventures Inc. and Carmen Copper Corporation) and hydrometallurgists and environmental geochemists from Australia (University of New South Wales and Curtin University).

The outcome from the partnership and project development (PPD) stage will be a streamlined SAGES framework specialized for the Philippines, addressing the needs and constraints of all stakeholders. The PPD process will strengthen and further establish partnerships through networking and stakeholder engagements, identify and characterize the decision support tools needed in light of emerging technologies available, and recognize community, government and industry needs and expectations explicitly.