Sustainable development in mining and minerals industry

Mining can be viewed as an important activity for the growth and development of society by providing raw materials needed to produce everyday items. Recently, there has been a gradual convergence toward the view that mineral resource wealth can, and should, serve as an engine of growth and of poverty reduction. If managed properly, the wealth derived from mining could provide substantial financial nourishment, thus raising the living standards of poverty-stricken populations and ―kick-starting‖ a number of manufacturing and service sector industries in countries that are struggling to develop. This paper explains that operators can improve the sustainability of their mine sites by ensuring that leading practices are implemented in five areas. In addition to the widely-accepted dimensions of Environment, Economic and Community, Safety and Resource Efficiency are addressed. Moreover, some guidelines for mining companies seeking to operate more sustainably are presented.

Keywords:

mining , sustainable development , socio-economic , environment , safety , efficiency