Beyond Technology and Toward Sustainable Trajectories for Mining Territories: A Challenge for the Present

Abstract

Mining is facing several challenges: it must answer to an increasing demand for raw materials in a world in transition, especially for developing countries, it must take into consideration the needs of future generations, and face the long-term socio-environmental impacts it generates. Strong sustainability can only be achieved by stopping the headlong rush and integrating mining activities into the trajectories of mining territories, whatever the identities and specificities of these territories. Aiming to reach the goals of strong sustainability development could only be achieved by taking into account all the components (geology, economy, environment, society, culture) of mining territories.

Keywords:

• Governance
• mining territories
• sustainable mining
• values
• vulnerabilities

JEL CLASSIFICATIONS:

• Q39

Acknowledgments

The authors want to thank the anonymous reviewers for helping to improve this article.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marie Forget

Marie Forget is an Assistant Professor at the Environment, Dynamics, and Mountain Territories Laboratory, Savoie Mont Blanc University, France. She is a resources and energy geographer.

Magali Rossi

Magali Rossi is an Assistant Professor at the Environment, Dynamics, and Mountain Territories Laboratory, Savoie Mont Blanc University, France. She is a geologist specialized in mineral resources.