A Socio-Ecological Approach to GIS Least-Cost Modelling for Regional Mining Infrastructure Planning: A Case Study from South-East Sulawesi, Indonesia

Alex Lechner,Ashlee Schleger,Phill McKenna,Shanty Rachmat,Muhammad Syukril,Bernadetta Devi,Saleem Ali,Paul Rogers,Greg Brown

doi:10.3390/resources6010007

Abstract

Regional planning approaches to mining infrastructure aim to reduce the conflict associated with mining operations and existing land uses, such as urban areas and biodiversity conservation, as well as the cumulative impacts that occur offsite. In this paper, we describe a method for conducting Geographical Information System (GIS) least-cost path and least-cost corridor analysis for linear mining infrastructure, such as roads. Least-cost path analysis identifies the optimal pathways between two locations as a function of the cost of traveling through different land use/cover types. In a case study from South-East Sulawesi, Indonesia, we identify potential linear networks for road infrastructure connecting mines, smelters, and ports. The method used interview data from government officials to characterise their orientation (perceived importance and positive/negative attitude) toward the social and environmental factors associated with mining infrastructure. A cost-surface was constructed by integrating spatial layers representing the social and environmental factors to identify areas that should be avoided and areas that were compatible with linear infrastructure using the least-cost path analysis. We compared infrastructure scenario outputs from local and national government officials by the degree of spatial overlap and found broad spatial agreement for infrastructure corridors. We conclude by discussing this approach in relation to the wider social-ecological and mine planning literature and how quantitative approaches can reduce the conflict associated with infrastructure planning.

Highlights

An important aim of regional planning approaches for mining is to reduce the conflict associated with minerals/energy extraction and existing land uses such as forestry, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation, whilst addressing the operational needs of mining
The objective of this paper is to describe a method for optimally planning linear infrastructure for mining regions that accounts for environmental and social factors
The analysis showed differences in pathways facilities, and ports) in the region (Figure 5)

Summary

Introduction

An important aim of regional planning approaches for mining is to reduce the conflict associated with minerals/energy extraction and existing land uses such as forestry, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation, whilst addressing the operational needs of mining. Achieving a balanced approach to planning requires existing stakeholder preferences for specific land uses to be incorporated. Approaches to regional land use planning commonly utilise Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to combine spatial data, characterising the suitability of current and potential future development [1,2,3,4]. While suitability mapping has been a core research and operational activity within geographic information sciences for many decades [5], the integration of spatially explicit socioeconomic data, characterising land use values and stakeholder preferences, with ecological data is a growing area of new research [6,7,8,9]. Industrial-scale mining projects require much infrastructure planning, and “resource corridors”. An important consideration for developing a mine or multiple mines in a region is to optimally plan for linear mining infrastructure including roads, rails, and power lines linking mines to electricity generators, processing (e.g., smelters), and transport facilities (e.g., ports)

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Results

Conclusion