69 3.2 Application of the approach in the Peruvian context In Peru, WSP Peru’s contaminated sites team has applied risk assessment methodologies in mining projects entering closure phases, incorporating prospective analyses across three stages: closure, post-closure, and future use. This staged application enables differentiation of receptors, exposure pathways, and contaminant profiles according to evolving site conditions and anticipated land uses. Most mining sites in Peru are located in high-Andean regions, where local communities engage in traditional agricultural and livestock activities and maintain a strong dependence on land and water resources. These conditions result in heightened social and environmental sensitivity to both current and residual mining-related contamination and require evaluation approaches that explicitly consider subsistence practices, differentiated exposure patterns, and historically shaped risk perceptions. Within this context, stage-specific risk assessment has required clear differentiation of relevant human receptors. During closure and post-closure, on-site receptors (workers) generally present well-defined exposure parameters associated with controlled work activities. In contrast, off-site receptors introduce higher levels of uncertainty related to variability in productive activities, water sources, and local food consumption. This uncertainty increases significantly under future-use scenarios due to the inherent spatial and temporal variability of post-mining land use. Table 1 summarizes key differences across stages and the associated levels of uncertainty observed in local case applications. For ecological receptors, the primary challenge lies in receptor selection due to Peru’s high biodiversity. Receptor selection therefore incorporates species protection criteria and socio-cultural relevance. While no substantive differences have been observed across stages in terms of receptor types considered, exposure magnitude may vary depending on species access to disturbed areas, which is typically more restricted during closure and post-closure. 3.3 Cross-cutting considerations Application of the methodology highlights the importance of robust environmental baseline data, particularly for defining natural or non-project-related background concentrations. This consideration is critical in highly mineralized areas, where background levels may exceed environmental quality standards and, if not properly characterized, lead to misinterpretation of contamination levels and associated risks. Incorporating site-specific background values enables more realistic risk estimates and supports the definition of remediation objectives that are compatible with the geological and social context of the site. Across both international and local applications, community participation emerges as a central cross-cutting element. Integrating participatory processes into risk assessment is essential for validating future land-use assumptions, improving the quality of field data, and strengthening the legitimacy of closure decisions. This approach transforms mine closure
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