Tampakan project facility to control flooding in South Cotabato - expert

MANILA, Philippines - Rene Cruz, a 33-year veteran international expert and consultant on hydrology and water resource management, using a recently concluded baseline study, has confirmed that the Tampakan copper-gold project water resource management plan will have a positive impact on the management of the volume of surface water and will help prevent constant flooding near and within the project area in South Cotabato.

“Let us consider the Mal River. Excess water during wet seasons, which often causes floods in some areas, flow into the Padada River in Davao del Sur. This excess water eventually runs into the Davao Gulf, which could have been used for many purposes,” he said.

“The construction of a freshwater dam along the Mal River will address two key issues. It will store collected rain during rainy seasons, thereby lessening the chances of flooding in the area. At the same time, this otherwise excess water in the dam will help alleviate the water shortage during dry spells in the area,” Cruz explained.

“The dam is designed in such a way that it can supply some of the water requirements of the proposed mine as well as the requirements of the riparian flow, the water volume necessary for sustaining aquatic life and irrigation in the area. In short, the dam was designed not only for the needs of the mine, but also for the needs of the downstream water users,” Cruz concluded.

Cruz also dispelled reports that the project will deplete the fresh water flow in the area. “This will not happen. In the planning and construction of the mine and its facilities, one of the things that are initially considered is the avoidance water use competition in the area. Under the law, water rights are clearly defined. For any given water source, priority of usage is given to domestic purposes. Second priority is given to the municipal water supply, third priority is for irrigation purposes, and fourth priority is for power generation. Next is related to fisheries, livestock raising, and industrial purposes. The last one includes mining.”

Cruz is a member of AECOM, a 3rd party international consulting group tasked to conduct baseline studies and carry out an environment and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project which shall be one of the bases for the granting of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

“Simply put, baseline studies on hydrology measure the current volume of surface water in the area before a project is initiated,” Cruz explains.

A baseline study is conducted to describe preexisting conditions before a project is started. The basic information gathered before a project starts, also known as the baseline data, is later compared to data gathered during and after project implementation to detect changes and assess project impact.

“Generally, during the wet season, water volume is high in the project area, and which causes some flooding in certain areas within the proposed project site. On the other hand, water volume is low that it is not enough for irrigation during the dry season. That is the baseline data of most of the rivers in the project area,” he said.

In the Philippines, regulatory controls are in place to monitor water resources. As mandated by law, the proponents of a project which has the potential to impact upon the environment, especially water resources in the area, must first conduct an ESIA before it is given permission by the national government to proceed.

The ESIA is a process that involves the prediction and assessment of the environmental and social impacts of a proposed project during construction, commissioning, operation, and closure. It also involves the development of appropriate management plans to avoid or mitigate the negative effects and to enhance the positive effects of a project. As such, specialist studies are conducted to form the basis of the ESIA, and included in these are hydrological baseline studies in a proposed project area.

SMI is currently progressing with the mine ESIA and expects to finalize studies by the end of this year.