Action Research commissions by IM4DC

IM4DC has commissioned ten new Action Research projects out of 35 applications from university-based researchers. The projects are as follows:

Project Lead Researcher Notes
A community’s ‘right to know’: Adding practical support to the idea of prior consultation Associate Professor Deanna Kemp, UQ SMI Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining Collaborations with PNG Chamber of Mines, Bougainville Mining Department, and Universidad Pacifico and Futuro Sostenible, Peru
Building capacity in environmental regulation and management in the emerging Fijian bauxite and alumina sector Dr Talitha Santini, UQ SMI Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation Collaboration with Fiji Department of Lands and Mineral Resources, and International Aluminium Institute
Digital payment systems and the distribution of compensation and community investment payments from Papua New Guinea’s resource projects – financial inclusion of families, women and youth? Dr Tim Grice, UQ SMI Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining Technical advisory committee: members from DFAT, Pacific Islands Working Group on Financial Inclusion of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, PNG Minerals Resource Authority and PNG Chamber of Mines
The Potential of Zambian Copper – Cobalt hyperaccumulator plants for phytoremediation of polluted (mining/smelter) soils Antony van der Ent, UQ SMI Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation Collaboration with The Copperbelt University, Zambia
Regional planning – Zambia Case Study Bev Kubat, UQ SMI WH Bryan Mining and Geology Research Centre Consultations with relevant government and industry bodies and University of Zambia
Translating values into action: implementation strategy for improved mine-community relations in Peru Winthop Professor Caroline Baillie, UWA Faculty of Engineering Cooperation with Latin American Mining Monitoring Programme
The role of safety beliefs in influencing safety outcomes in the mining sector in south American countries Winthrop Professor Mark Griffin, UWA School of Psychology Collaboration with Peru National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy (SNMPE)
Customary law and mining – Australia and Ghana Associate Professor Murray

Wesson, UWA Law School

 Collaboration with Goldfields Land and Sea Council and University of Ghana, School of Anthropology
Mining and water law reform for Ghana Associate Professor Alex Gardner, UWA Law School Collaboration with University of Ghana Law School
Social impact assessment of mining investment in Balochistan (Pakistan) Professor Samina Yasmeen, UWA School of Social Sciences Engagement of in-country researchers

Five other Action Research projects were commissioned in recent months. They are:

Project Lead Researcher Notes
Environmental geochemistry of abandoned mines in the Puno Region of Peru – to guide strategic planning for regional development and legacy site management Dr Mansour Edraki and Corinne Unger Collaboration with INGEMMET (Institute of Geology, Mining and Metallurgy), Peru
Learning through failures: preparation of a series of lectures for teaching of mine waste management best practice Winthrop Professor Andy Fourie, School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering Drawing on experience in IM4DC-sponsored teaching and research in Zambia and Ghana
A GIS-based exploration in initiative to steer sustainable development Dr Steven Micklethwaite UWA-Curtin Centre for Exploration Targeting and Bernadetta Devi, UQ SMI Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining Collaboration with Office of Energy and Mining, Southeast Sulawesi
Defining best practice for corporate data delivery to national African geological surveys: regulation, technical implementation and compliance Professor John Miller, UWA-Curtin Centre for Exploration Targeting Consultation with African geological surveys
Developing on-line training system for geosciences in Africa to increase knowledge-sharing Professor Mark Jessell, UWA-Curtin Centre for Exploration Targeting Cooperation with Universities of Ghana, Dakar, Bamako, Ouagadougou