Identification of Risk Analysis Tools in Institutional Mining Investment

The risks related to Tailing Storage Facilities (TSF) failure are increasingly manifesting as financially material and impactful. My goal during this Globalink funded project is to identify the current tools that institutional mining investors are using to evaluate risk exposure associated with TSF. The overarching objective is to identify whether tailings dam safety is considered and accounted for in current mining investment decisions. This project will have a goal of completing qualitative interviews to develop a database of TSF risk criteria that mining investors are currently using when evaluating the financial risk of an operation. Using the database and a literature review of TSF ‘best safety practices’, a gap analysis of the current tools used in the mining investment community will be completed. I have identified two aspects from my research that would benefit most through the Globalink Research Award. First, in order to assess the current evaluation tools that mining investors use to quantify TSF risks, I would profoundly benefit from the Columbia Water Center’s experience with private investment decision-making. Second, both Dr. Kunz, from UBC, and Dr. Lall, from Columbia, have extensive knowledge about risk. TBC

Faculty Supervisor:

Nadja Kunz

Student:

Partner:

Columbia University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: