scholarly journals Mining and Local Economies: Dilemma between Environmental Protection and Job Opportunities

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6244
Author(s):  
Angelo Antoci ◽  
Paolo Russu ◽  
Elisa Ticci

Mining areas often experience a climate of social tension due to the potential trade-off between expected employment impact and concerns for environmental damage. We address this topic from a theoretical perspective that, unlike most empirical research, includes medium-term dynamics. We developed a two-sector dynamic model that provides a new way to identify differences among mining regions in terms of conflict risk, local development, and welfare. There are critical points in the natural-resource base of local nonmining activities and in the pollution rate of mining operations, which determine the type of dynamics and its welfare outcomes due to the opening up of the economy to mining investment. Pollution control is a sine qua non for welfare gains despite new job opportunities in the mining sector.

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 316-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
KATRINA BROWN ◽  
R. KERRY TURNER ◽  
HALA HAMEED ◽  
IAN BATEMAN

Tourism is regarded by many countries, particularly resource-poor countries, as a potential stimulus to the economy. Yet tourism, by the nature of the activities involved, is constrained by the natural resource base and infrastructure, and by the pollution and other environmental and social impacts of tourist numbers. Tourism development strategies of national governments have been diverse in the face of this complex relationship between the economic costs and benefits of tourism. This paper examines tourist development based on concepts of open access and renewable natural resources. The experiences of two economies highly dependent on tourism, the Maldives and Nepal, are compared and contrasted. Although these countries offer very different attractions to tourists, they are faced with similar problems in terms of adverse environmental impacts of tourism. The dominant impacts in both areas are those associated with solid waste disposal and water resources, compounded by the depletion of natural resources. Both countries are currently employing 'dispersal' techniques to overcome the adverse impacts of tourism, but such strategies do not address the fundamental problem of maintaining tourism revenues whilst minimizing environmental damage. Even if an ecological carrying capacity can be defined, the experiences of these two countries indicate that impacts on local communities may well exceed so-called cultural carrying capacity.


Author(s):  
Raimi Morufu Olalekan ◽  
Omidiji Adedoyin O ◽  
Ebuete Abinotami Williams ◽  
Makanjuola Bosede Christianah ◽  
Oshatunberu Modupe

Environmental damage usually comes back to development in one way or another and causes a development challenge. As the global demand for natural resources increases, human welfare and its implications relating to environmental degradation and exposure to environmental risks have caused many to lose their means of livelihood, triggering high level of poverty which remains a serious concern. However, globalization has played a central role in determining the future of the world. The role of globalization has proven to be essential to a nation’s ability to yield the maximum potential from its available resources. The maximization of those resources generally leads to the improved economic development of the nation; wellbeing of man and the sustenance of his livelihood are closely associated with the natural resources base. Consequently, there is a global concern for natural resources protection and conservation so that man can continue to sustain his livelihood. Part of the overall development activities of man is industrial growth. As desirable as industries are, their growth is associated with deleterious consequences. This paper examined the threatened natural resources by mans various activities and call on all tiers of Government and Development partners on the need for natural resources conservation in Nigeria. This revealed that industrialisation and its concomitant urbanisation has brought to mans environment such negative factors like loss of biodiversity, enhanced greenhouse warming, desertification, drought, water and air pollution and accumulation of toxic wastes. It is believed that well conserved natural resources will bring economic, social, visual, and aesthetic benefits that guarantee sound and qualitative health of inhabitants. It concludes that conservation of African biodiversity has come to the fore due to its numerous cultural, scientific and economic values. Also, environmental protection regulations should be intensified to protect the environment from excesses exploitations and for sustainable development. This can be achieved principally through recognition, understanding, appreciating and/or integration of endogenous technologies with exogenous technologies whose synergies are capable of enhancing conservation of natural resource base.


1996 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-45
Author(s):  
A. E. F. Heydom

In South Africa, as in many other countries, human population growth is currently reaching levels which render competition for basic human needs such as land and water, inevitable. Concurrent to population growth is the absolute necessity for economic development and job opportunities which, in turn, make tremendous demands upon the environment and natural resource base. As a consequence ever greater emphasis is placed by the news media on apparent conflicts between industrial development and social needs on the one hand, and conservation of the environment and natural resources on the other.


2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Gough ◽  
Noel Gough

AbstractThis article explores the changing ways ‘environment’ has been represented in the discourses of environmental education and education for sustainable development (ESD) in United Nations (and related) publications since the 1970s. It draws on the writings of Jean-Luc Nancy and discusses the increasingly dominant view of the environment as a ‘natural resource base for economic and social development’ (United Nations, 2002, p. 2) and how this instrumentalisation of nature is produced by discourses and ‘ecotechnologies’ that ‘identify and define the natural realm in our relationship with it’ (Boetzkes, 2010, p. 29). This denaturation of nature is reflected in the priorities for sustainable development discussed at Rio+20 and proposed successor UNESCO projects. The article argues for the need to reassert the intrinsic value of ‘environment’ in education discourses and discusses strategies for so doing. The article is intended as a wake-up call to the changing context of the ‘environment’ in ESD discourses. In particular, we need to respond to the recent UNESCO (2013a, 2013b) direction of global citizenship education as the successor to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005–2014 that continues to reinforce an instrumentalist view of the environment as part of contributing to ‘a more just, peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable world’ (UNESCO, 2013a, p. 3).


2018 ◽  
pp. 30-36
Author(s):  
V. M. Minarchenko ◽  
A. Yu. Butko

The popularity of herbal remedies and medicines, with the participation of biologically active substances from plants is traditionally high. The annual increase of the domestic market for herbal remedies is due to the preservation and modernization of production capacities for processing of medicinal vegetative raw materials in Ukraine, introduction of modern scientific developments, a large natural resource base of medicinal plants and attracting investments in the development of this industry. The aim of our work was the study of the domestic market of medicines of plant origin, which includes herbal remedies, substances and preparations with the participation of biologically active substances from plants. The object of the study was domestic medicines of plant origin that are registered in Ukraine for 2012–2017. The study used the analytical, statistical methods, and the results of its own resource studies of medicinal plants. Phytopharmaceutical market of Ukraine is actively developing due to the attraction of new types of medicinal plants and expanding the range of medicines. The number of domestic drugs with the participation of biologically active substances from plants has increased by 17.4% compared with 2014. It is established that as of 1 January 2017 in Ukraine was 1 141 the form of medicinal drugs of plant origin. Of them: 645 – domestic products, 496 – foreign. Most of the herbal drugs in the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine are made from wild and cultivated domestic raw materials.


SEG Discovery ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 19-26
Author(s):  
Paul D. Wittwer

Abstract The gold and silver endowment of Korea has historically been well known, with records alluding to production as far back as 1122 BC. The main gold production period was from 1925 to 1943 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, with more than 1 Moz recorded in 1939. Muguk was the most productive gold mining operation, located within the central region of South Korea, with a recorded 590 koz of gold produced from 1934 to 1998 (first mined in AD 912). The majority of the historical mining operations were closed by government order in 1943 during the Second World War and never reopened. A number of small mines operated between 1971 and 1998, with limited production during a period of gold prices generally lower than at present (~25–50% of current inflation adjusted prices, apart from a four-year period 1979–83). It is likely that significant resources remain within these historical mining areas. Gold-silver deposit types historically recognized and exploited in Korea include placers and orogenic and intrusion-related vein systems. Only more recently have epithermal vein and breccia systems been recognized. This is not surprising, given that the geologic and tectonic setting of the Southern Korean peninsula is prospective for epithermal precious metal deposits, spatially associated with basin-scale brittle fault systems in Cretaceous volcanic terranes. South Korea is an underexplored jurisdiction, with limited modern exploration and drilling until the mid-1990s, when Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. discovered the Gasado, Eunsan, and Moisan epithermal gold-silver deposits, all of which became mines. Exploration was limited for another 20 years until Southern Gold Ltd., an Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed company, commenced regional-scale exploration for epithermal deposits, using a strategy similar to that successfully employed by Ivanhoe.


Author(s):  
Rehema Baguma

Generating and developing knowledge societies is a key element for sustainable development as defined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. Based on a limited natural resource base, Rwanda chose to take an approach to development that differs from that of its neighbours by making ICTs the cornerstone of its development. With this focus, government of Rwanda (GoR) took a Pro-ICT led public policy that has led to several public reforms such as but not limited to liberalization of the telecom sector, enactment of laws to govern electronic messages, signatures, transactions, data protection, cyber-security and ICT usage, development of relevant infrastructure and establishment of key institutions such as the Rwanda Utilities and Regulatory Agency (RURA) and Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA). These reforms have in turn led to a fast-growing ICT sector in Rwanda compared to that of the neighbours. To-date, Rwanda is one of the fastest growing African countries in ICT. In 2015, Rwanda emerged as the third best ICT country in Sub-Saharan Africa behind South Africa and Seychelles. In 2016, it moved one position up and emerged 2nd behind Seychelles. The fast-growing ICT sector has stimulated entrepreneurial creativity and growth across the economy. This chapter examines the best practices that Rwanda has applied in her journey to a knowledge society that could possibly help other countries in the region pursuing the same objective. The chapter also briefly reviews challenges and gaps in Rwanda's journey to a knowledge society and suggests recommendations for further improvement.


Author(s):  
Gaius Eudoxie ◽  
Ronald Roopnarine

Caribbean countries share unique features such as small size, geographical location, limited natural resources, low economic status aligned with ambitious developmental agendas, all of which influences their vulnerability to natural disasters. Agriculture and tourism are the main economic drivers for Caribbean states. Notably, both these sectors are highly prone to natural disasters. Other sectors including forestry, biodiversity, coastal resources and inland water resources are also susceptible to climatic hazards. The eroding natural resource base aligned to these sectors demands appropriate management. Risk assessment is integral in planning and preparing for natural hazards. Several methods have been used in the Caribbean with varying success. Two successful examples are the Land Degradation Assessment (LADA) conducted in Grenada and the Landslide Mapping in Trinidad. The LADA project geospatially quantified the extent of land degradation and presented data in support of natural resource management. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) was a milestone establishment for regional disaster management. Introduction and implementation of the Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) strategy transformed disaster management from simply response and recovery, to include preparedness, prevention and mitigation. This approach included the appointment of national focal points in all participating countries, a feature that aimed to build and improve communication channels. Whilst mostly positive, the present approach has also showcased limitations to long term sustainability. Most islands lack effective governance structures with a dedicated budget to disaster management and where available, activities are centrally operated. Improving social resilience through community engagement is seen as critical to the success of CDM. Social media has also been shown to add real value to networking and communication in disaster management.


Author(s):  
H. A. Fitzhugh

As we contemplate the challenge of feeding more than 8 billion people —more than three quarters living in developing countries —the even greater challenge will be feeding their grandchildren. Consideration of competition between livestock and mankind for nutrients must include both near-term food needs and long-term sustainability of agricultural production systems. Producing more livestock products at the expense of eroding the natural resource base is not an acceptable solution. Livestock have been denigrated as both competitors for food and degraders of the natural resource base for food production. These often emotionally argued allegations against livestock generally do not stand up to objective analysis. Livestock arc most often complementary elements of food production systems, converting otherwise unused feed sources to highly desired food and livestock products such as leather and wool. Moreover, well-managed livestock are positive contributors to the natural resources base supporting balanced agricultural systems. In this chapter, the following points are addressed from the perspective of current and future role for livestock in feeding 8 billion people: . . . • Growing demands for human food and livestock feed • Domesticated food-producing animals • World livestock production systems • Human food preferences and requirements • Dietary requirements and conversion efficiencies • Contributions of science to livestock improvement . . . The overarching issue is the difference in the current and future role for livestock in developed and in developing regions. Less than 11 percent of the global land mass of 13.3 billion hectares is cultivated; the remainder supports permanent pasture, 26%; forest, 31%; and other nonagricultural uses, 32% (U.N. data as cited by Waggoner, 1994). The concerns about competition between livestock and mankind for nutrients center primarily on grains and legumes grown on arable land. Even the most avid vegetarians have little taste for the forages and other herbaceous materials from pasturelands, forests, roadsides, and fence rows that arc consumed by livestock. Since the 18th century, the amount of land cultivated has increased from approximately 0.3 to 1.5 billion ha (Richards, 1990, as cited by Waggoner, 1994). This increase in cultivated land has primarily come at the expense of forest and grasslands.


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