Evaluating Mine Design Alternatives for Social Risks Using Discrete Choice Analysis

Kwame Awuah-Offei,Sisi Que,Atta Ur Rehman

doi:10.3390/su13168700

Kwame Awuah-Offei, Sisi Que + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168700

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Abstract

As with other engineering design tasks, mine design involves setting design objectives and constraints (the feasible solution space) and finding the optimal design alternative. Mine engineers often struggle to incorporate the preferences of local community members into their evaluation of mine design alternatives because the mining literature lacks tools to quantify such risks during mine planning. This paper presents an approach to evaluate community acceptance (i.e., community preferences for the alternatives) using discrete choice models and decision-based design during mine planning. Using discrete choice models and a rigorous framework, engineers can estimate the cost of social risks as a function of the probability that individuals in the host community will prefer a particular design alternative. They can then estimate the overall utility of a particular design alternative to the project proponents. This paper illustrates the proposed approach with a strategic mine planning exercise for a gold mine. The framework can be a useful tool for designing mines for sustainability, if combined with effective community engagement and management’s commitment to creating shared value.

Highlights

Engineering design is a process that includes: (i) establishing design objectives and specifications; (ii) determining measures of performance; (iii) generating design alternatives; (iv) evaluating and testing alternatives; (v) selecting the optimal alternative; and (vi) implementing the best design
Using a discrete choice model and Equation (2), we propose that mine engineers can estimate the level of community acceptance for each design alternative just as Wassenaar et al [22] proposed using discrete choice analysis to estimate the demand for each product alternative
This paper presented a framework based on decision-based design and discrete choice analysis to account for local acceptance in mine planning and design

Summary

Introduction

Engineering design is a process that includes: (i) establishing design objectives and specifications; (ii) determining measures of performance; (iii) generating design alternatives; (iv) evaluating and testing alternatives; (v) selecting the optimal alternative; and (vi) implementing the best design. The nature and objectives of mine planning and design vary depending on the scope (strategic versus tactical) [1]. While mining engineers have many tools for evaluating economic [3] and safety [4]. Objectives, there are not as many tools for evaluating sustainability considerations in mine planning and design [5,6,7]. Especially in long range mine planning, there are many decisions that have significant sustainability implications and impact the social risks associated with mineral projects. (We define social risks here to mean “the range of potential impacts on a project that may result from its interaction with communities and stakeholders”, per Barclay et al [8].

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