Civil Engineering August 2021 | Vol 29 No 7

Civil Engineering August 2021 33 Clearly cost is always a factor, but there may be other challenges; there may no longer be the space available to locate larger dams or silt traps, and a flat topography will hamper efforts to improve water flow. Nonetheless, the upgrading of existing infrastruc- ture may be inevitable for mining operations in regions where rainfall intensity is increasing. Widths and depths of water channels, silt traps and storage dams may have to be revised to allow for greater freeboard. CONCLUSION Engineers engaged with MRDs face not only climate uncertainty and its resultant impacts on rainfall patterns but are also increasingly required to design facilities that will last beyond the closure of the mining operation. This responsibility to the natural and social environment of the future is creating heightened expectations for engineered structures to demonstrate both functionality and long-term sustainability.  Upgrading existing infrastructure may be inevitable for mining operations in regions of increasing rainfall intensity GEORGE OFFICE TEL: (044) 873 4923 | FAX: 044 874 5953 102 Merriman Street | George PO Box 9087 | George | 6530 CAPE TOWN OFFICE TEL: (021) 554 5195 | FAX: 086 575 2869 Tableview | Cape Town PO Box 443 | Milnerton | 7435 WEB: www.sescc.net Sharples Environmental Services cc (SES) is a service-driven consultancy, advising on medium- to large-scale development projects. Our strategy is to consult at a level of efficiency and quality that both meets and exceeds the needs and demands of our diverse client base. DEVELOPMENT SHOULD NOT BE A BARRIER TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROWTH Our mission is to guide the planning and construction of development projects, leading to an appropriate “balance of impacts” so that socio-economic upliftment in the country can be obtained without unacceptable impacts on the social, cultural and biophysical environment.