Social Impact Assessment Research Articles

Ex Ante Impact Assessment of Reservoir Construction Projects for Different Stakeholders Using Agent-Based Modeling

Reservoir construction projects are frequently met with fierce opposition. Consequently, to mitigate any potential negative impacts, environmental and social impact assessments are usually mandatory. Stakeholder perspectives are often only implicit in such assessments, and the medium-term effects of mitigating actions are assessed at the aggregate level, which fails to take into account unequal disaggregated impacts. In this paper, we design and apply an agent-based model (ABM) built on stakeholder information to conduct an ex ante assessment of the impact of a reservoir construction project in southern Thailand over a 30-year period for individual agents. We incorporate stakeholders’ knowledge into the ABM on the basis of primary data collected during the 2016–2018 period, including workshops with affected farmers to assess their interests and concerns, in-depth interviews with farmers in nearby districts to assess farming behaviors, and the expert opinions of policymakers to assess the relevant regulations and processes. In a case study for which the model was established, the results predict that, overall, farmers will have more farm income if the dam is built. We find that affected people require a standard of living similar to that provided by their previous livelihood as soon as possible after resettlement. By simulating the impacts on individual agents, we conclude that the compensation for relocation offered to affected farmers is not sufficient for sustainable resettlements. Facilitating compensation may increase the speed of project implementation and lead to better outcomes for everyone, including affected communities, whereas failure to reshape the current compensation policy leaves everyone more disadvantaged.

The Impacts of Hydropower Dams in the Mekong River Basin: A Review

The Mekong River, well known for its aquatic biodiversity, is important to the social, physical, and economic health of millions living in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. This paper explores the social and environmental impacts of several Mekong basin hydropower dams and groupings of dams and the geographies of their impacts. Specifically, we examined the 3S (Sesan, Sekong Srepok) river system in northeastern Cambodia, the Central Highlands of Vietnam, and southern Laos; the Khone Falls area in southern Laos; the lower Mun River Basin in northeastern Thailand; and the upper Mekong River in Yunnan Province, China, northeastern Myanmar, northern Laos, and northern Thailand. Evidence shows that these dams and groupings of dams are affecting fish migrations, river hydrology, and sediment transfers. Such changes are negatively impacting riparian communities up to 1000 km away. Because many communities depend on the river and its resources for their food and livelihood, changes to the river have impacted, and will continue to negatively impact, food and economic security. While social and environmental impact assessments have been carried out for these projects, greater consideration of the scale and cumulative impacts of dams is necessary.

PARQUES EÓLICOS OFFSHORE NO BRASIL E OS POTENCIAIS IMPACTOS SOCIAIS: APLICAÇÃO DE MATRIZES SWOT

Com o constante aumento dos investimentos no setor elétrico, surgiram iniciativas internacionais para introdução de turbinas eólicas em ambientes marinhos (offshore). No Brasil, tem-se articulado três iniciativas distintas para a construção de parques eólicos marinhos. Estima-se que surjam diferentes impactos sociais envolvendo as populações costeiras que fazem uso dos recursos oceânicos e marítimos próximos. O objetivo da pesquisa foi analisar, de forma participativa, a introdução de um projeto de parque eólico offshore emáguas litorâneas da costa oeste cearense. Utilizou-se a elaboração de Matrizes SWOT com os pescadores das comunidades próximas ao projeto como ferramenta para a realização do diagnóstico participativo local. Foram indicadas 36 forças, 27 fraquezas, 20 oportunidades e 13 ameaças. Foi possível entender que garantir a inserção social promove consideráveis ganhos. O efetivo engajamento público deve seguir métodos que permitam transparecer as informações relevantes aos moradores, promovendo discussões fluidas e didáticas e tomadas de decisão de forma participativa, garantindo o diálogo entre empreendedores,Estado e comunidades atingidas.
 Palavras-chave: avaliação de impacto social, Matrizes SWOT, participação pública, parque eólico offshore.

Social impact assessment towards sustainable urban mobility in Qatar: Understanding behavioral change triggers

In Qatar, majority of the citizens rely on private automobiles compared to public transport. For this reason, it is imperative to consider public views on sustainability issues within the transport sector. This study examines some behavioral change triggers as Qatar moves towards a sustainable public transport system. The dominant view is that using public transport is more sustainable; therefore, the objective of the study was two-fold: to assess public travel behaviors and attitudes with respect to the use of public transportation and to formulate strategies designed to encourage commuters to use sustainable public transport. For this purpose, the study employed a descriptive, correlational research design in the collection and analysis of pertinent data. Primary data was obtained using survey research. Electronic surveys created by Survey Monkey were sent to prospective respondents online with a total sample size of 435. The framework of the questionnaire was: the respondents’ demographic profile, their overall knowledge about automobiles’ impact on the environment, their opinion concerning metro acceptance and initiation about the possible use of a sustainable transport system to the public, their knowledge on the metro project challenges, and their willingness to use the metro. Results indicated that the majority of respondents resisted using public transport, as most of them owned automobiles. Only 24% of respondents said that they would consider using public transport for environmental conservation purposes. The four major setbacks to using the metro system were: the need to wait for the metro to operate (21.4%), lifestyle and culture (16.9%) – respondents used to drive their own cars, climate concerns (16.9%), and the location of metro stations (17.5%). The study concluded that much of the resistance to using the public transport system arises from individual’s high dependency on automobiles. Many of the solutions to this high dependency were linked to land use and urban planning strategies.

Building resilience to climate change in vulnerable communities: A case study of uMkhanyakude district municipality

Climate change in South Africa remains an issue of socio-economic and environmental concern. An increase in frequency and intensity of climatic events pose significant threats to biophysical and socio-economic aspects, namely food security, water resources, agriculture, biodiversity, tourism, and poverty. In order to counteract the socio-economic and environmental concerns pertaining to issues of climate change, emergent insights on climate change strategies suggest that building resilience in human and environmental systems is an ideal way of combating dynamic environmental conditions and future uncertainties. Using the qualitative secondary data approach, this article evaluates whether vulnerable communities in uMkhanyakude District Municipality can become resilient to the implications of climate change. UMkhanyakude District Municipality is predominantly rural and one of the most impoverished districts in KwaZulu-Natal, with the majority of socially and economically marginalised individuals and households experiencing more severe impacts as a result of climate change compared to those in urban areas. Data was analysed using content analysis and a concise summary of the biophysical and socio-economic aspects is presented. This research suggests that building resilience to climate change is possible when bottom-up, proactive and systematic measures are taken to manage vulnerable areas such as those in uMkhanyakude District Municipality. It recommends that social impact assessments (SIA) be conducted to assist in terms of assessing social consequences that are likely to follow from policy actions.

Acquiring practice in environmental and social impact assessment: case study of Lviv city dumpsite, Ukraine

Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) is a new and fast-growing business area that is becoming widespread in Ukraine. The fire accident at Lviv city landfill "Hrybovychi" forced the local governments to initiate work on its closure and reclamation. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the planned activity is the first mandatory step in this direction. The complex nature of EIA procedures requires a similarly integrated approach to identify hazards and develop a shared vision of existing risks. This is demonstrated by the analysis of two published EIA reports on remediation of "Hrybovychi" dump and the dangers that were not identified. Threats of additional groundwater pollution, causes of fire and consequences of negative impact on adjacent areas, the possibility of re-ignition of the landfill, the spreading of micro-particles (PM2,5), and formation of toxic compounds classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) together with their long-distance migration - these and other dangers were not identified and were not discussed with public organizations. The article aims at showing a scientific approach to identifying environmental hazards in combination with the social component - assessments of problematic activities for public health, which are often ignored in post-Soviet countries. Current and best practices of the Baltic Sea countries in this field are presented by an international team of university scientists. Analysis of critical observations and making recommendations for preventing, minimizing, and mitigating the adverse effects of an accident can help to improve the peer review and development of similar EIA projects.

Je li transhumanizam rješenje za eutanaziju?

The article concentrates on the question of euthanasia in relation to the emerging life-extension technologies and the immortality industry within the philosophical framework of transhumanism. I begin by sketching the picture of human enhancement and immortality research and industry and pointing to its preliminary assessment of social impact, drawn by Jacobsen (2017). I present immortalism as a specific branch of transhumanism, leading to the rise of postmortal society informed by neohedonism and negative utilitarianism: oriented towards the pursuit of pleasure and minimization of suffering. I ask the question if in the postmortal society the problem of euthanasia will exist. To answer this question, firstly, I briefly present the changes in understanding the notion of a good death; secondly, I discuss the transhumanist approach to euthanasia. And thirdly, I point to the challenges to the biopolitics of death and dying in the postmortal society. The discussion of these areas leads to the conclusion that the problem of euthanasia in the postmortal society will not disappear; rather, it will become more aggravated due to the paradoxical nature of the transhumanist approach to death, personal freedom, autonomy, and dignity.

Voices from the last mile: The place of emotions in the social impact analysis of access to communication

While cellular technology has become ubiquitous and effective in bridging the digital divide, billions of households around the world remain unconnected and unserved. Increasing income and effective participation in governance are the gold standard in establishing the positive social impact of innovations that seek to provide access to communication in last mile areas, which are usually geographically isolated rural villages. Results from the social impact analysis of the Village Base Station Project (VBTS), using culturally-sensitive oral history, reveal that end-users use emotional terms, such as ginhawa and perhuwisyo in assessing how access to cellular networks affected their everyday life and social relationships. This article contributes to the scholarly discussions on the social impact of cellular technology by understanding end-users’ emotional responses as indicators of social impact. We argue that a more human-centered framework for social impact assessment requires a careful consideration of emotional evaluative statements from silenced communities, or of voices from the last mile.

Developing a triple helix approach for CO2 utilisation assessment.

Assessment of the sustainability of CO2 utilisation technologies should encompass economic, environmental and social aspects. Though guidelines for economic and environmental assessment of CO2 utilisation (CDU) have been presented, a methodology for social assessment of CDU has not. Herewith, social impact assessment for CDU is systematically investigated, a methodological framework derived and examples of application given. Both process and deployment scenarios are found to be key factors in the assessment and the sourcing of raw material is observed to be a hotspot for social impacts within the assessed CDU technologies. This framework contributes a new aspect to the development of holistic sustainability assessment methodologies for CDU by enabling a triple helix to be created between life cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic assessment (TEA) and social impact assessment (SIA). Therefore, the triple helix approach will enable trade-offs between environmental, economic and social impacts to be explored, ultimately enhancing effective decision making for CDU development and deployment.

Environmental, Economic and Social Impact Assessment: Study of Bridges in China's Five Major Economic Regions.

The construction industry of all countries in the world is facing the issue of sustainable development. How to make effective and accurate decision-making on the three pillars (Environment; Economy; Social influence) is the key factor. This manuscript is based on an accurate evaluation framework and theoretical modelling. Through a comprehensive evaluation of six cable-stayed highway bridges in the entire life cycle of five provinces in China (from cradle to grave), the research shows that life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), life cycle cost assessment (LCCA), and social impact life assessment (SILA) are under the influence of multi-factor change decisions. The manuscript focused on the analysis of the natural environment over 100 years, material replacement, waste recycling, traffic density, casualty costs, community benefits and other key factors. Based on the analysis data, the close connection between high pollution levels and high cost in the maintenance stage was deeply promoted, an innovative comprehensive evaluation discrete mathematical decision-making model was established, and a reasonable interval between gross domestic product (GDP) and sustainable development was determined.

Assessing Social Sustainability for Achieving Sustainable Architecture

Sustainability is an inherent urban and architectural problem. It is simultaneously characterized by many different dimensions, pursuing heterogeneous and often conflicting objectives. To help address these complexities in a structured way, this paper illustrates an integrated assessment framework to tackle social sustainability, in order to support the decision-making process towards sustainable architecture. This integrated decision support framework was applied to a case study concerning a new cultural centre at the Politecnico di Torino in Italy. The aim of this paper is to propose a decision support methodological framework for the analysis, graphical visualization and evaluation of social sustainability of architectural projects. It combines three methods: first, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis, to get a guided understanding of the project and detect the best design strategies; second, the Stakeholder Analysis (SA), to develop a strategic view of the actors involved; third, the Social Return of the Investment (SROI) as a methodological tool for social impact assessment. This framework, presented through the discussion of some project solutions, helps us to analyse the architectural material effect of social sustainability and answer the question: Are we investing properly and creating spaces sufficiently functional to build better conditions for our community and our city?

Social sustainability of treatment technologies for bioenergy generation from the municipal solid waste using best worst method

Despite the fundamental role of the social aspect in the implementation of sustainability in the bio-based industries, most of the sustainability assessments research have addressed the environmental and economic dimensions. However, the social dimension has been neglected and it can cause an irreparable outcome in the biotechnology industries. Following this issue, this study propounds a modified systemic approach for a social sustainability impact assessment of the treatment technologies for converting waste into bioenergy, based on a review on the common social assessment methods. As it is known, the guideline presented by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (2009) due to considering social life cycle assessment has a comprehensive look at the stakeholders. Therefore, in this paper, UNEP method was selected. However, it needs to be modified based on the bio-energy supply chain derived from municipal solid waste. For this purpose, the bioenergy value chain derived from municipal solid waste was designed and combined with UNEP guideline, to complete the level of stakeholder subgroups and the levels of the indicators. The final method of the social assessment system was presented to the board of experts and finalized. In order to design the measurement part of the social assessment system, because of a multi criteria decision making nature of the social sustainability evaluation of the conversion technologies of municipal solid waste to bio-energies, a recent developed multi-criteria decision making method so-called Best Worst Method (BWM) was used in two stages. The criteria are ranked according to their average weight obtained through Best Worst method. One of the major novelties in this research is the way of application of the best worst technique in the second stage. The model was implemented in the case of Tehran as one of the pioneering Iranian municipalities with high potential to produce bioenergy. The results of this study help decision makers to decide where to concentrate their attention during the implementation stage, and to increase social sustainability in their bioenergy supply chains derived waste.

Potential of Road Rainwater Harvesting in Yemen – Its Social, Environmental and Economic Benefits: A Case Study of Sana›a – Hodeida Road, Yemen

Abstract
 In Yemen, farmers and people living along the roads are suffering from the lack of utilization of rainwater runoff from road surface & surrounding area and road water structures. The objectives of this research is to optimize the benefits of Road Rainwater Harvesting (RRWH) to the beneficiaries during road design, construction and operation & maintenance; to suggest a technical outlines; to induce the awareness of road’s engineers on the importance of Integrated Water Harvesting Management (IWHM), in addition to discussing the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). The research approach focused on conducting field visits and applying a reconnaissance survey to document the current and potential road rainwater structures along the pilot section of 24 km as part of Sana’a – Al-Hodiedah road between Al- Masajed village and Sooq Al-Aman; Designing and applying questionnaires and interviews for farmers & beneficiaries, and road engineers. The SPSS software program was used to analyze the collected data. From the conducted interviews along the road, it was revealed that almost all the stakeholders have land adjacent to the roadside, and their farms are irrigated from rainwater collected from road structures. All inhabitants considered water floods running from/on the road surface and structures as their rights, and it is distributed at the moment according to the field’s water rights which exist before the road construction. The research found that almost all farmers considered the water from roads as contaminated water. The source of contamination comes from residual oil on the road, diesel, oil from oil shops and suspended soil particles. On the other hand, according to the road engineer’s questionnaire, the concept of water harvesting, groundwater recharge and water for irrigation from road surface and road structures were not considered during design. In addition, the results obtained showed that water-harvesting techniques in the pilot road section is in the form of farmers’initiatives implemented by directing water to their farms for irrigation. The study conclude applying RRWH to protect the road sections from erosion and damage; increase the availability and utilization of water in the areas nearby roads; minimize the erosion of landscape especially in mountainous areas as well as in road embankments; improve the stabilization of the road slopes; and maintain esthetic value of landscape nearby roads. It is recommended that road drainage structure should be located in a proper place to avoid conflicts among farmers and fulfill their water rights. To avoid soil and water contamination by oil, grease and fuel from vehicles along the road, the research recommends that oil workshops should be implemented and forced to collect and recycle oil instead of disposing it on the road surface. RRWH is recommended to be applied to mitigate the damage of terraces during the heavy runoff. The study urges the joint efforts from all stakeholders and road engineers to apply the suggested technical outline in this paper by including rainwater harvesting from roads as part of road design, implementation and maintenance.
 Keywords: rainwater harvesting, road design, culverts, engineers,stakeholders, farmers, ESIA, Yemen, social and economic benefits.

Potential of Road Rainwater Harvesting in Yemen – Its Social, Environmental and Economic Benefits: A Case Study of Sana›a – Hodeida Road, Yemen

Abstract
 In Yemen, farmers and people living along the roads are suffering from the lack of utilization of rainwater runoff from road surface & surrounding area and road water structures. The objectives of this research is to optimize the benefits of Road Rainwater Harvesting (RRWH) to the beneficiaries during road design, construction and operation & maintenance; to suggest a technical outlines; to induce the awareness of road’s engineers on the importance of Integrated Water Harvesting Management (IWHM), in addition to discussing the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). The research approach focused on conducting field visits and applying a reconnaissance survey to document the current and potential road rainwater structures along the pilot section of 24 km as part of Sana’a – Al-Hodiedah road between Al- Masajed village and Sooq Al-Aman; Designing and applying questionnaires and interviews for farmers & beneficiaries, and road engineers. The SPSS software program was used to analyze the collected data. From the conducted interviews along the road, it was revealed that almost all the stakeholders have land adjacent to the roadside, and their farms are irrigated from rainwater collected from road structures. All inhabitants considered water floods running from/on the road surface and structures as their rights, and it is distributed at the moment according to the field’s water rights which exist before the road construction. The research found that almost all farmers considered the water from roads as contaminated water. The source of contamination comes from residual oil on the road, diesel, oil from oil shops and suspended soil particles. On the other hand, according to the road engineer’s questionnaire, the concept of water harvesting, groundwater recharge and water for irrigation from road surface and road structures were not considered during design. In addition, the results obtained showed that water-harvesting techniques in the pilot road section is in the form of farmers’initiatives implemented by directing water to their farms for irrigation. The study conclude applying RRWH to protect the road sections from erosion and damage; increase the availability and utilization of water in the areas nearby roads; minimize the erosion of landscape especially in mountainous areas as well as in road embankments; improve the stabilization of the road slopes; and maintain esthetic value of landscape nearby roads. It is recommended that road drainage structure should be located in a proper place to avoid conflicts among farmers and fulfill their water rights. To avoid soil and water contamination by oil, grease and fuel from vehicles along the road, the research recommends that oil workshops should be implemented and forced to collect and recycle oil instead of disposing it on the road surface. RRWH is recommended to be applied to mitigate the damage of terraces during the heavy runoff. The study urges the joint efforts from all stakeholders and road engineers to apply the suggested technical outline in this paper by including rainwater harvesting from roads as part of road design, implementation and maintenance.
 Keywords: rainwater harvesting, road design, culverts, engineers,stakeholders, farmers, ESIA, Yemen, social and economic benefits.

Activist*scholar collaborations in times of crisis, and beyond: Reflections on ‘Urban Activism: Staking Claims in the 21st Century City’

A conference organized in September 2019 at Harvard University brought together a group of activists and scholars from North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, to discuss the political and theoretical implications of the convergence between urban activism and urban scholarship. The interventions and debate are summarized here in relation to the shifting political context that followed the conference. We argue that the global demand to reframe the relationship between people and institutions should be addressed by reframing the production of knowledge, and we put forward three proposals: that academic departments develop permanent relationships with social movements that struggle against housing and resource dispossession, that research institutions demand that binding social impact assessments are undertaken for each development project, and that activists and scholars develop forms of collaboration on a broader scale to connect different models of grassroots governance into designing a new social contract.

Social impact assessment - is it possible challenge for social enterprise?

Social enterprises from government, society, and financiers are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their social impact. To do this, social enterprises need to implement social impact assessments in their organizations. It is noteworthy that there are many different methods and tools for impact assessment and measurement, which often make it unclear to social enterprise managers what is best for their enterprise. Also, many social impact assessment and measurement methodologies are complex enough and require specific competencies, time, and other extra costs. However, social impact assessment is an essential process, as it helps to build trust in these organizations by the public, state institutions and investors, to ensure the transparency of their activities and to meet their goals. Social enterprises are a new phenomenon in the Baltic States, so it is essential to clarify the attitude of the leaders of the organization to the social impact assessment and what practices they use in their organizations. Aim of the research: to explore the existing practice of social impact assessment of social enterprises in the Baltic states. The methodology of research: 20 in depth interviews with the jure and the facto WISE´s managers in the Baltic states were conducted.

Meaningful Evaluation: a holistic and systemic approach to understanding and assessing outcomes

The concept and practice of Social Impact and Social Impact assessment has developed and matured over the last decade. Despite this growth, confusion still exists with respect to definitions of social impact as well as which tools and frameworks are most appropriate. Central to the concept and practice of social impact is a focus on outcomes. This paper argues that a discernible albeit problematic pattern and approach has emerged in outcomes measurement within the social impact field. After briefly reviewing some of the key problems with how outcomes measurement is practised, it presents some recent approaches from the evaluation field that attempt to address some of these concerns before introducing a new approach to understanding and evaluating outcomes – Meaningful Evaluation (ME). A pilot Meaningful Evaluation of volunteer ethics teachers in the Primary Ethics program in NSW is used to illustrate the approach. ME combines the Map of Meaning (MoM) with insights from next generation evaluation approaches to understand and assess outcomes. Informed by appreciative inquiry perspectives, it provides a means to bridge the divide between positivist and interpretivist approaches in evaluation. Key to ME is the assumption that it is more likely that immediate outcomes lead to medium and long-term outcomes (changes in behaviour) that are sustainable and lead to impact if participants experience program interventions as ‘meaningful’. Meaning is an important internal outcome that is essential if longer-term external outcomes are to occur. It also shifts the focus to capture unintended outcomes, key to developing holistic and systemic rather than linear and mechanistic Theories of Change.

Social Impact Assessment of HealthyAIR Tool for Real-Time Detection of Pollution Risk

Background: HealthyAIR is a tool that detects pollution risk in real life. The target population is people with cardiorespiratory complications who are especially susceptible to the current COVID-19. The goal is to empower people by controlling air pollution everywhere to minimize the risk of having a seizure. Methods: We measured the social impact of the HealthyAIR tool using a Likert scale survey with two groups: professionals (engineers/healthcare) and end-users. We assessed the data in accordance with the indicators for social impact defined for the Key Impact Pathways introduced by the European Commission for Horizon Europe, and the criteria of the Social Impact Open Repository (SIOR). Results: Professionals highlight the fact that they “totally agree” (33.33%) and “agree” (26.67%) that HealthyAIR could help authorities improve their health prevention policies and programs. Users considered the tool to be “very useful” (38.46%) and “quite useful” (42.31%), which denotes its necessity. Conclusions: professionals and end users see HealthyAIR as a great preventative tool, with the former seeing it as a way to avoid seizures in their patients who, in this COVID-19 era, are particularly sensitive to any cardiorespiratory health problem. However, users suggest improving the user’s manual to make it more understandable.

Social impact assessment of photovoltaic poverty alleviation program in China

Abstract Boosted by impressive technological innovation and cost reductions, renewable energy in a growing number of countries is now primarily considered for its social and economic benefits. Among the renewable energy promotion actions at the global level, photovoltaic poverty alleviation (PVPA) program in China is very unique since the targeted users are villagers in poverty regions. Under this condition, it would be quite necessary to understand how are the PVPA program carrying out. In this study, three poverty villages are selected in the northwestern part of China to conduct the social impact analysis. An evaluation system including four categories and thirteen indicators was established. Site investigation and questionnaire interview was carried out to collect required information. Our findings reveal that the poor families in the three counties can increase their income by around 3000 RMB per year with the implementation of PVPA program. The final social impact indicator of Yanchi County, Dingbian County and Guazhou County are 2.61, 2.09 and 2.15 respectively. Villagers’ living standards in the three counties are prominently improved because of the solar power supply. The factors that hinder the development of PVPA projects are the lack of investment funds, poor quality of solar panels, low public awareness, high abandon rate of photovoltaic, etc. Recommendations for improving the sustainable development of PVPA program based on the findings are also proposed.

Reconciling standards and the operational needs of mining projects in Africa: Examples from Guinea

Impact assessments and action plans are mandatory during the feasibility phases of mining projects, but are too often perceived as simple legal obligations to obtain development permits. However, these steps must be considered as planning tools for the implementation of a mining project over its entire duration. Adapting these performance standards to actual mining contexts and integrating operational requirements into these documents can simultaneously rationalise costs and optimise efficiency while providing genuine tools for project development. This positioning has the virtue of meeting the requirements of both national legislation and international standards as well as the operational requirements of the project, while optimising investments in all the prerequisites of the feasibility phases. Drawing on findings from research on and assessments of the mining sector in Guinea during 2011–2020, we explore the paradoxes that arise from the objectives of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) regulations and the constraints that they generate at each phase of mining project development. Based on our analysis, we suggest ways to use these standards to improve the integration of mining projects in their territories while respecting environmental and social sustainability.