Ms Malavika Vyawahare wrote in Mongabay that an analysis in the journal Nature Sustainability concluded that the Ambatovy nickel mine in Madagascar achieved no net forest loss by curbing deforestation in its biodiversity offsets. The Ambatovy nickel mine located in a biodiversity-rich Madagascar rainforest made up for the forest lost due to its operation. The mine operators did so by reducing deforestation rates in nearby areas designated as biodiversity offsets.Ambatovy’s mining operation would lead to the destruction of 2,064 hectares (5,100 acres) of natural forests within its concession, according to the company. Ambatovy carved out four offsets, which cover an area of almost 28,740 hectares (about 71,000 acres). One of the offsets lies within the mining concession. Another encompasses the Torotorofotsy wetland east of the concession. A third is a parcel of the Ankeniheny-Zahamena forest block on the northern edge of the mining site. The fourth, the Ankerana offset, lies further north within Ankeniheny-Zahamena.Ambatovy, which operates an open-pit nickel mine in Madagascar, carved out four biodiversity offsets to make up for biodiversity loss in its mining site, located in the species-rich eastern rainforest of the island nation. By slowing deforestation in these four offsets, the mine made up for forest loss in its mining concession; however, there isn’t enough data to ascertain how the measures impacted biodiversity, and previous research indicates that the mine’s offsets reduced impoverished communities’ access to forest resources.The tropical rainforests along Madagascar’s eastern coast are some of the most biodiversity-rich areas on the planet. Ambatovy’s mining site sits at the southern end of a large rainforest block. In its vicinity lie the Ankeniheny-Zahamena forest corridor, the Torotorofotsy Ramsar wetland, and Mantadia National Park. About 10% of Madagascar’s known floral diversity is found in these forests alone, including an astonishing 250 orchid species. They are also home to 14 species of Madagascar’s unique primates, lemurs.Ambatovy’s current owners are Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation and the Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corp. The Malagasy government granted the company a 40-year environmental permit in 2006. The mine started operations in 2014 and is the largest foreign investment in the African island nation. It produces 60,000 tonnes of refined nickel and 5,600 tonnes of refined cobalt annually. Ambatovy shut down for a year during the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed operations in March 2021.
Ms Malavika Vyawahare wrote in Mongabay that an analysis in the journal Nature Sustainability concluded that the Ambatovy nickel mine in Madagascar achieved no net forest loss by curbing deforestation in its biodiversity offsets. The Ambatovy nickel mine located in a biodiversity-rich Madagascar rainforest made up for the forest lost due to its operation. The mine operators did so by reducing deforestation rates in nearby areas designated as biodiversity offsets.Ambatovy’s mining operation would lead to the destruction of 2,064 hectares (5,100 acres) of natural forests within its concession, according to the company. Ambatovy carved out four offsets, which cover an area of almost 28,740 hectares (about 71,000 acres). One of the offsets lies within the mining concession. Another encompasses the Torotorofotsy wetland east of the concession. A third is a parcel of the Ankeniheny-Zahamena forest block on the northern edge of the mining site. The fourth, the Ankerana offset, lies further north within Ankeniheny-Zahamena.Ambatovy, which operates an open-pit nickel mine in Madagascar, carved out four biodiversity offsets to make up for biodiversity loss in its mining site, located in the species-rich eastern rainforest of the island nation. By slowing deforestation in these four offsets, the mine made up for forest loss in its mining concession; however, there isn’t enough data to ascertain how the measures impacted biodiversity, and previous research indicates that the mine’s offsets reduced impoverished communities’ access to forest resources.The tropical rainforests along Madagascar’s eastern coast are some of the most biodiversity-rich areas on the planet. Ambatovy’s mining site sits at the southern end of a large rainforest block. In its vicinity lie the Ankeniheny-Zahamena forest corridor, the Torotorofotsy Ramsar wetland, and Mantadia National Park. About 10% of Madagascar’s known floral diversity is found in these forests alone, including an astonishing 250 orchid species. They are also home to 14 species of Madagascar’s unique primates, lemurs.Ambatovy’s current owners are Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation and the Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corp. The Malagasy government granted the company a 40-year environmental permit in 2006. The mine started operations in 2014 and is the largest foreign investment in the African island nation. It produces 60,000 tonnes of refined nickel and 5,600 tonnes of refined cobalt annually. Ambatovy shut down for a year during the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed operations in March 2021.
