Top-down/bottom-up approach for developing sustainable development indicators for mining: Application to the Arlit uranium mines (Niger)

Minerals extraction is related to complex sustainable-development issues that are subject to international and local controversies. Debates and decisions need to be based on objective and comparative elements. Defining strong indicators for assessing impacts and performances of mining sites thus appears necessary to inform and support the decision-making process for stakeholders. In recent years, many indicator sets have been developed on an international level based on top-down approaches. But they commonly lack legitimacy for stakeholders and adequacy to specific site issues. They thus need to be complemented by the consultation of local actors concerned by such mining activity, in order to define indicators that are closer to the needs and contexts of the specific sites. This is the goal of the work reported in this paper, undertaken at the Arlit uranium mines in Niger. Our objective was to define indicators that are understood and accepted by all actors, as a basis for robust and transparent assessment of the impacts and performances of mining sites across the four sustainable development dimensions, and at local, regional and national scales.