Meeting the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) is no longer a tick-box exercise in modern mining; it’s a matter of credibility, safety and stewardship. IOTDC’s Sentinel platform, developed in partnership with the European Space Agency, delivers advanced satellite analytics and IOT-enabled monitoring that bring unprecedented visibility and assurance to tailings management.
Managing risk with eyes in the sky
Every tailings storage facility (TSF) has a zone of influence: the geographic area that would be affected should a dam breach or structural failure occur.
IOTDC harnesses satellite capabilities to monitor these zones, measuring moisture detection, displacements, vegetation around the dam – all measurable indicators that help highlight problems. The system uses predictive AI to assess potential risks, which then allow users to react proactively.
Reinventing manual surveys
Manual inspections remain indispensable for validating remote data and assessing physical structures on site. Yet traditional methods are slow, inconsistent and often reliant on error-prone spreadsheets. IOTDC streamlines this process by pairing remote sensing data with structured manual inputs via a secure mobile application. Inspectors can capture readings in the field, or even offline, which automatically synchronise once connectivity is restored.
This fusion of satellite insight and human expertise creates a dynamic feedback loop: manual surveys become targeted and efficient, focused on the anomalies identified by remote data rather than on routine repetition.
Condition of the dam and potential risk
Between 2008 and 2018, over 31 tailings dam failures were recorded globally, each leaving a legacy of environmental destruction, community displacement and reputational damage. The 2019 Brumadinho disaster alone wiped $19 billion off Vale’s market value in a single day. With an average of four major failures per year worldwide, continuous risk monitoring is no longer optional.
Sentinel integrates multiple data sources such as IOT sensors, LiDAR, drone footage, weather inputs and Earth Observation (EO) data into a unified operational dashboard. Through displacement monitoring, phreatic surface mapping and vegetation-health assessment, Sentinel highlights indicators of risk such as slope instability or seepage. These insights enable operators to act early, fulfilling GISTM’s requirement for proactive risk identification and mitigation.
The new standard in tailings monitoring
As the August 2025 deadline for full GISTM conformance arrives, IOTDC’s Sentinel offers a practical, scalable route to compliance. By uniting satellite analytics, IOT integration and predictive modelling, Sentinel enables:
- Continuous, independent monitoring across all facilities.
- Automated, audit-ready reporting.
- Data-driven, targeted manual inspections.
- Expanded confidence zones supported by verifiable evidence.
With IOTDC, mining operators move from reactive management to predictive governance; ensuring safer operations, resilient infrastructure and a sustainable future for the industry.
For more on this game-changing offering from IOTDC, visit https://www.iotdc.co.za/solutions/dam-tailings-monitoring/.
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