NERC invests in sustainable future for Philippine minerals
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is co-funding five projects to help address and reduce the impact of mining in the Philippines.
The south-east Asian country is one of the most mineral-rich countries in the world and has the potential to contribute to meeting the increasing global demand for mineral resources in green technology.
Initial funding has been awarded by:
- NERC
- Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology (DOST-PCIEERD).
The funding will enable scientists to develop partnerships and project teams across the UK and Philippines. They will work with stakeholders to understand the research needs essential to delivering a route to sustainable mineral production in the Philippines.
A further grant of up to £1.2 million and 15 million Philippine Pesos will be available to two successful teams later this year.
The teams will deliver three-year research programmes to:
- understand the impact of mining practices
- develop innovative approaches to the production of minerals that minimise negative impacts on the environment and the wellbeing of communities.
The programmes receiving funding are:
- Developing a sustainable pathway for the Philippine nickel sector, led by Paul Lusty of the British Geological Survey, UK, and Professor Romell Seronay of Caraga State University, Philippines.
- Philippines remediation of mine tailings, led by Professor Gawen Jenkin, University of Leicester, UK, and Professor Carlo Arcilla of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, Philippines.
- Philippine mining at the national to catchment scale - from legacy impacts to sustainable futures, led by Dr Richard Williams, University of Glasgow, UK, and Dr Decibel Faustino-Eskava of the University of the Philippines Los Banos, Philippines.
- Systems approach for greener, eco-efficient and sustainable mineral resource management, led by Dr Pablo Rafael Brito Parada of Imperial College London, UK, and Dr Arnel Beltran of De La Salle University, Philippines
- A framework for the sustainable development of marine mineral resources in the Philippines, led by Dr Ian Selby of the University of Plymouth, UK, and Teodorico Sandoval of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Philippines.
