In late 2010, our Quellaveco copper project located near Moquegua in southern Peru faced considerable local opposition from communities concerned at what they saw as its potential negative impact, in particular on water availability in a severely water-stressed area.
In response, we agreed to pause the project and to participate in an extensive, structured ‘dialogue table’ with local and national stakeholders, led by the regional president Martín Vizcarra, with a view to addressing community concerns.
During 18 months of detailed negotiations, the project team was able to understand the root cause of local worries, address the lack of information about both the environmental safeguards of the project and its multiple potential social and economic benefits, and adapt aspects of the project design to increase those benefits.
