Mapping what matters: Integrating PPGIS into social impact assessment for mine planning and closure.

Abstract

Community values toward landscapes, particularly before mining begins, are often overlooked in conventional social impact assessments in the mining industry. These emotional, cultural and relational values tend to be intangible and difficult to incorporate into formal planning tools. We propose public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) as an underutilized method to address this gap. Rooted in participatory planning and spatial analysis, PPGIS offers a unique way to integrate landscape values into social impact assessments. When applied early in the mine lifecycle, PPGIS can inform both project design and closure planning, ensuring that social and cultural dimensions of landscapes are considered from the outset.  It aligns with regulatory requirements for meaningful community engagement, baseline assessment and closure visioning, and can strengthen both procedural fairness and social licence to operate. By combining technical data with local knowledge, PPGIS can support more inclusive, place-based and value-driven approaches to mine development and closure.