Livelihoods
Many of the communities affected by our operations are in relatively under developed and under resourced areas. We take a sustainable livelihoods approach by not only considering self-sustaining opportunities for meaningful work, but also organising activities to meet basic needs.
Programmes of assistance are identified and agreed through ongoing consultation with each community and defined in a multi-year community plan, which applies throughout the life of the business.
To contribute to sustainable livelihoods after mine closure, each Rio Tinto business now has an annually updated closure plan. The plans apply throughout the lifecycle of the Group's activities, from exploration to mine closure and beyond. All these plans are developed with community input, particularly regarding post mining land use.
How we enhance livelihoods
Our approach involves planning, consulting with the communities, conducting baseline assessments and social impact assessments conducted by academic institutions, NGO's or consultants to assess the impact on livelihoods from our operations. Our contribution is not only to provide support but, more importantly, to build local skills and knowledge.
We use a variety of strategies ranging from better management of natural resources to agricultural extension, and from small business development to community-based health initiatives in which we provide training in basic health, specifically HIV/AIDS.
As a result, we may help to set up local entrepreneurial activities such as micro-finance initiatives and small and medium enterprise. And we achieve success in these activities by ensuring rigorous market and commercial analysis, as well as training in basic business management and financial control.
In other areas, we promote agricultural extension to help subsistence farmers with sustainable farming methods and improve their livestock.
We also recognise that affected communities often exist within a larger system where the government itself is under-resourced, where local delivery is poor or where basic services are non-existent. Thus we may seek to work in partnership with other appropriately resourced non government organisations (NGOs), government agencies or other institutions to share inputs and responsibilities.
We also seek to ensure that any such assistance does not compromise local ecosystems.
Our results
In 2007, we provided financial and technical support to community HIV programmes in Madagascar with public and NGO partners and establishing a business advisory centre to promote local entrepreneurs and decentralise our supply chain. We also undertook a new social and environmental impact assessment for the expansion project at Rössing Uranium, Namibia, after 30 years of operations and renewed our commitment to an enhanced community assistance programme at Murowa diamonds, Zimbabwe, to include school construction and rehabilitation, electrification, small irrigation projects, and food security programmes.