KTKK’s work was conducted in two phases:
Phase I: Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
An HIA methodology tailored to Mongolia was approved by the relevant Scientific and Ethical Committees, and carried out in October 2010. The HIA included mixed methods research in four soums as well as review of opinions of international and Mongolian experts. Using these methods, KTKK has identified key stakeholder priorities among ways that the Oyu Tolgoi project will impact on communities.
Likely positive impacts include:
• Improved infrastructure
• Employment and business opportunities, and
• Increased personal income and government
Potential negative impacts (direct and indirect) include:
• Increased pressure on services, including health and education, due to population shifts
• Increased infectious diseases, especially STI
• Impact on community health due to increased dust and reduced water
• Risks related to hazardous materials and weather
• Heightened community tension.
How did Mongolians participate in the HIA?
In conducting a meaningful HIA, KTKK researchers sought out complete and accurate information on how the Oyu Tolgoi mine will affect communities surrounding the project site and throughout the Umnugovi region. During Phase 1 of the consultancy, KTKK researchers spoke with community members, government officials, non-government organizations and private sector representatives in communities near Oyu Tolgoi. They were assisted by a Stakeholder Advisory Committee that KTKK established in each of the four soums impacted by the mine. The process was started by a Town Hall meeting under auspices of the aimag or soum governor. Following that meeting, the research team began its process of Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and Health Resources Review at hospitals and clinics
KTKK also convened a Technical Expert Panel (TEP), with experts chosen individually on the basis of their particular knowledge and experience in the fields of health, safety, and security. These experts were drawn from local and national government, civil society, and academia. The TEP discussed each potential risk and rated each one on two dimensions: magnitude of the risk and the likelihood of it coming to pass.
Phase II: The Oyu Tolgoi Community Health Safety and Security Program (CHSSP) design
Based on the results of the HIA, KTKK designed a Community Health, Safety and Security Program (CHSSP) for the communities likely to experience impact from Oyu Tolgoi. KTKK consulted with additional stakeholders in Ulaanbaatar and the South Gobi to tailor activities to the specific local context.
Oyu Tolgoi Fast Facts
• Oyu Tolgoi is the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold project
• Oyu Tolgoi contains approximately 45 million tons of copper and 1,838 tons of gold
• Ivanhoe Mines and strategic partner Rio Tinto signed a long-term Investment Agreement with the Government of Mongolia on October 6, 2009, which marked the creation of Oyu Tolgoi, LLC.
For more information see: www.ot.mn
