From Social Risk To Strategic Value: Integrating Indigenous Resettlement Into Life-Of-Mine Planning *M. Cervantes1, 2 1CCPM Grupo Consultor, Lima, Peru 2Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM), University of Queensland, Australia *Presenting author: miguel.cervantes@grupoccpm.com Abstract This paper synthesizes lessons learned from resettlement processes in Peru, where exploration projects and expanding mining operations for critical minerals increasingly intersect with complex indigenous territorial systems. Drawing upon experiences from operations such as Las Bambas and Antamina (the Yanacancha case), we examine how classical resettlement approaches encounter severe limitations when applied to Andean populations that maintain multilocal residence patterns sustained by extended kinship networks. These communities strategically distribute their family members across ecological zones, creating territorial use patterns that are invisible to conventional census-based methodologies yet fundamental to livelihoods resilience. Current planning relies heavily on static census data, overlooking the dynamic territorial strategies employed by indigenous families. The urgency to secure minerals for the energy transition frequently compresses social assessment timelines, leading to incomplete identification of affected populations and the complexity of their territorial management. Critically, resettlement planning is rarely integrated early into mine design or Life-of-Mine (LOM) planning, forcing a reactive rather than proactive approach to social management. We propose an integrated methodology combining four complementary layers: rapid ethnographic assessment to map complete territorial use cycles; social network analysis of kinship structures overlaid on Geographic Information Systems; early integration of social intelligence into mine engineering and LOM planning; and holistic impact monitoring using the Smyth and Vanclay Sustainable Wellbeing Framework. Furthermore, we advocate for robust training programmes for senior management on the risks and complexities of indigenous resettlement and the enhancement of governance over these processes. Our analysis reveals that ethnographic and kinship network studies, while adding only a few months to initial timelines, dramatically reduce long-term conflicts whose costs can reach millions of dollars per week in lost production value. As critical mineral demand intensifies, these methodologies and improvements in internal governance become essential for maintaining social licence while securing access to resources vital for the global energy transition. Keywords Indigenous resettlement, critical minerals, Life-of-Mine planning, ethnographic assessment, kinship network analysis, Sustainable Wellbeing Framework, social licence to operate 65
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