FAIME recently participated in the Academic Seminar “Mining Tailings: Toward Effective Risk Management in Latin America” in Loja, Ecuador, on July 22 and 23.

This event brought together technical and local experts who shared knowledge, experiences, and concerns regarding the risk management of tailings dams in the region. This was a particularly important occasion for the FAIME Project. For the first time, FAIME experts from Latin America—who have worked extensively in the region—shared their knowledge directly with representatives of communities affected by mining.

This academic seminar showed us, once again, that FAIME’s technical experts are available to support communities, but also that support can mean different things in each case and in each community. We learned that support must be tailored to the different contexts of communities and that direct dialogue between communities and experts is a powerful tool for agreeing on which outcome will be most beneficial to the community. For example, on this occasion, experiences were shared regarding community-based water monitoring and the early detection of tailings dam breaches and spills, and detailed information was presented on the restoration processes following such spills. In each case, the local context and the national regulatory framework were different, and each community decided on the best course of action based on the information available to them.

During the event, we heard from communities affected by, and potentially affected by, tailings dams, including testimonies about how independent technical expertise and advisory support make a difference in guiding communities’ decision-making processes. After hearing presentations from technical experts, participants clarified several unfamiliar concepts and demystified topics such as the dimensions of the infrastructure, the operations of a tailings dam, and the composition of the tailings.

Throughout the sessions, we presented in detail how experts and communities can use FAIME. The breakout sessions allowed us to connect communities directly with experts. When using our online tools, such as the expertise request form, the process can take a few days because it involves email exchanges or phone calls. However, during the event, these connections were made quickly and easily. This was a very significant learning experience for us and encouraged us to seek other opportunities to engage in similar ways.We are committed to maintaining a database of independent experts to whom communities affected by mining can turn with their questions and concerns.

FAIME’s experts are committed to working independently and providing timely and sufficient information to the communities that contact us. Our goal is to reduce the difficulties communities face in accessing technical information and to connect them with support so they can make informed decisions about their territories and about past, present, and future mining projects.