The MARA Project, located in the province of Catamarca, has been recognized in the biodiversity management competition organized by the Argentine Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs (CAEM) and the ProYungas Foundation. The initiative awarded its revegetation program, developed as part of the closure plan for the Alumbrera mine.
By Panorama Minero
The award was presented during the 14th edition of Arminera, the mining trade fair held in Buenos Aires from May 20 to 22. The prize was accepted by Juan Donicelli, Country Manager of Glencore Argentina, the project’s operator and owner.
MARA’s revegetation plan aims to restore ecosystems affected by mining activities through the coverage and revegetation of waste rock dumps with native plant species. Since the plan’s approval in 2022 by the Ministry of Mining of Catamarca, more than 119 hectares have been revegetated and approximately 275,000 native plants transplanted.
The work is based on scientific research conducted in collaboration with the Argentine Institute for Arid Zone Research (CONICET Mendoza) and the Miguel Lillo Institute (National University of Tucumán). These studies identified the plant species best suited to the local environment.
The project also incorporates a local participation component. The production of seedlings and planting campaigns are carried out in partnership with Yokavil, a company based in the Santa María Department and composed of members of Indigenous communities and professionals from Catamarca.
The revegetation program holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, covering all stages of the process: production, planting, monitoring, and maintenance.
MARA, currently at an advanced exploration stage, plans to develop the Agua Rica deposit using part of the infrastructure from the former Alumbrera mine, which operated until 2018. Projected production is expected to exceed 200,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate per year during the first ten years of operation.
