The Asian Development Bank (ADB) appreciates the opportunity to respond to concerns raised regarding the Reko Diq Mining Project in Balochistan, Pakistan. ADB takes seriously the issues you have identified...As part of its due diligence, ADB reviewed the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and the Environmental and Social Compliance Audit (ESCA) prepared by internationally recognized environmental and social (E&S) consultants on behalf of the Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC)...

From 2022 to 2024, RDMC’s E&S consultant conducted multiple rounds of consultations with multilingual materials with national, provincial, and district authorities; project-affected communities; women’s groups; and civil society organizations...

RDMC has established a culturally and gender-sensitive grievance mechanism that enables community members to raise concerns and complaints safely without fear of retaliation...

ADB recognizes the importance of water availability in Balochistan. As part of the ESIA, a project hydrogeological study identified a deep, saline aquifer approximately 70 kilometers from the mine site as the project’s primary water source. The aquifer is not connected to other surface water systems. No communities are present in the groundwater system area...

The assessment combined the ESIA and the third-party ESCA to determine whether any groups in the vicinity of the mine area or who might be affected by the project have distinct language(s), cultural practices, social institutions, or collective attachment to ancestral territories... [T]he review did not identify groups that meet the SPS SR3 criteria which define IPs. Although Indigenous Peoples safeguards under SR3 do not apply... ADB requires the implementation of measures embedded in the ESIA to ensure meaningful consultation with all affected communities, safeguard cultural heritage, and promote equitable sharing of project benefits...