Recent and ongoing projects

Mission:

In November 2019, WCS won the tender for Simandou Blocks 1 and 2 (North of Simandou). The Simandou iron extraction mining project, led by this consortium, is therefore a comprehensive mining project comprising: (i) an open-pit iron mine in the Simandou mountains in north-eastern Guinea; (ii) an approximately 675km trans-Guinean railway to link the mine to the Guinean coast; (iii) port facilities for the export of iron, including a river port at Forecariah and, eventually, a new deepwater port on Matakan Island.

WCS commissioned Insuco to carry out a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and a Social Baseline Study (SBS) of the project’s rail area. The PEPP mission identified, through public consultations in the 8 prefectures crossed by the future rail, all the stakeholders involved in the project (local and regional authorities, communities, civil society, etc.). The localities directly situated in the project impact zone were also identified and mapped. Following the SEP, Insuco teams went to the field to carry out socio-economic surveys of a sample of households along the rail corridor. Differentiating between urban and rural areas, an inventory of both social and economic characteristics of households was drawn up on a series of themes: ethnic origin of the people making up the households, health, level of education, income, professional activities, level of debt, etc. These surveys made it possible to draw up a map of the population, which was then used as a basis for the analysis of the situation. These surveys allowed the elaboration of a detailed SBS on the rail area. Heritage and cultural sites were also identified and consultations were carried out to establish a typology of these sites and a classification according to their degree of importance.

Results:

Insuco has submitted to the client:

• A Stakeholder Engagement Plan including: (i) a study methodology and the planning of consultations; (ii) an identification of relevant stakeholders according to their level of engagement; (iii) a brief communication plan adapted to each type of groups (local and regional authorities, communities, civil society, etc.); (iv) a detailed description of the entire consultation process and the conclusions reached; (v) a brief grievance management mechanism; (vi) minutes of the consultations; (vii) attendance lists for public consultations.
• A Social Baseline Study including: (i) an analysis of the socioeconomic situation of households; (ii) land dynamics in the study area; (iii) thematic maps showing the location of villages and infrastructures; (iv) a mapping of cultural heritage sites; (v) a typology of cultural heritage sites and a classification according to their level of importance; (vi) an ecosystem services review.