Risk assessment methodology for shut-down and abandoned mine sites in Namibia

Mining has a long history in Namibia. Legacies of old operations are evident in numerous shut-down and abandoned mines, posing severe to moderate environmental and health risks. It is the responsibility of the government to deal with these risks, firstly by assessing their magnitudes, and then deciding on those that need the most urgent attention. The Geological Survey of Namibia, in cooperation with its partner, the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), and their consultant, the Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA) developed a Risk Assessment Manual for shut-down and abandoned mines, which takes the environmental conditions prevailing in Namibia into consideration. This manual provides a useful tool for the scientific and practical evaluation of the risks. It can be further developed and customized for adoption in other countries. In this article, we present the methodology adopted in the manual.