Environmental Assessment
Volume B-5.2
Mine
Cultural Property
Ambatovy Project
354
January 2006
Overall, it is thought that there is a relative scarcity of sites in the mine site area
because the relief and soil type over the ore bodies are not favourable to
agriculture. Until now, people have not been dependent on the relatively poor
forest resources in the azonal forest, but have rather focused on the biologically
richer zonal forests further away from the mine site.
5.2.4
Issue Scoping
A main concern raised consistently during public consultation, is that tombs
should not be disturbed. Also, if they must be disturbed, compensation should be
negotiated and the movement needs to be handled in a culturally appropriate way
(Volume A, Section 6). The main potential issues relating to cultural resources
are:
•
destruction of cultural sites during mine site construction (primary
impacts); and
•
disturbance of nearby cultural sites during and after mine site operation
(secondary and tertiary impacts).
Cultural resources are non-renewable resources that may be located at or near
ground level, or may be buried. Primary impacts to these comprise disturbances
created by the construction of the development project, where the landscape and
its contents are disturbed.
Secondary impacts are indirect impacts that occur after construction and
reclamation is complete. Erosion of sloping terrain due to alterations in the
vegetation, for example, may affect sites. Secondary impacts are of particular
concern in situations where cultural resources lie adjacent to development zones.
Tertiary impacts are the results of project-induced changes in demography and
land-use patterns. Increased rates of intentional and unintentional impacts can be
expected as a result of increased visitation to the region if the project is large
enough to affect regional population bases. For this project, tertiary impacts may
be possible from non-local workers unfamiliar with local customs.
