Extractive Industries and Society-An International Journal最新文献

Lithium-ion batteries are essential for Europe's renewable energy transition. By 2030, the EU will need 18 times more lithium, and by 2050, 60 times more. For that reason, Europe aims to increase domestic sourcing and achieve nearly full self-sufficiency by 2030. However, lithium mining has a high environmental footprint and can have severe social impacts. This research examines the socio-environmental implications of lithium mining for the EU energy transition and identifies leverage points that alleviate tension between justice and security. The Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, and Political framework was used to systematically gather insights from experts representing various stakeholders on these issues. Subsequently, these insights were compiled into a fuzzy-cognitive map, creating a system-based overview and allow construction and comparison of four scenarios examining the future of lithium and its impacts on the environment and local communities in Europe. This reveals the importance of good governance to avoid issues of corruption and geopolitical tensions with a potential adverse impact on society and environment. However, governance alone is insufficient to mitigate negative impacts. A circular economy, where lithium is recovered from used batteries, is most favorable, reducing the demand for new material and the negative impacts of mining. This holistic overview stresses the need for increased government involvement, stakeholder alignment, and dealing with corruption as vital aspects in mitigating the negative socio-environmental impacts of lithium mining.

This study examines the operational methods, procedures, and socio-ecological impacts of Western and Chinese crude oil extraction industries, focusing on regional variations. Due to institutional dynamics, the study reveals distinct emissions patterns among state-owned sectors in China and the Western Union region. This was achieved by employing DID regression models, using a sample of 60 crude oil mining companies. Furthermore, the data demonstrates that intensifying research and development endeavors directly correlate with pollution reduction, indicating that technological advancements could foster a greater sense of environmental consciousness. Nevertheless, larger corporations emit more pollution, substantially utilizing resources and manufacturing. Both nations prioritize the government's role in reducing negative environmental impacts caused by pollution by implementing regulatory frameworks. Additionally, they focus on achieving long-term ecological sustainability through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The paper suggests government involvement is necessary to enhance socio-ecological conditions at crude oil mining sites in Western and Chinese regions.

Scholars have examined the often ‘illegal’ status of artisanal and small-scale miners in Africa from a range of perspectives. Yet there is scope for further research on understandings of this ‘illegal’ character, which do not only include violations of the national legal framework for mining, but are also linked to broader (perceived) matters of criminality; miners themselves are also at times victims of ‘banditry’ and criminality. We apply a criminalization framework to analyse how artisanal miners are not only seen as ‘illegal’ for their non-state-sanctioned artisanal mining activities or for ‘trespassing’ on mining companies’ concessions – often overlooked or even tacitly accepted as legitimate in a range of contexts – but frequently also perceived as criminal as perpetrators of other infractions such as theft or violence. Drawing on case studies from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe, we lay out the need to unpack the conceptual blurring between artisanal mining, and ‘criminal bands’ and actors who use violence, at theoretical and empirical levels. We argue that there is a need for additional research on the scale and scope of the phenomenon of (urban) criminality and how this phenomenon relates to (but is not reducible to), and intermingles with, artisanal small-scale mining.

This study examines the effects of gas extraction operations (GEOs) on livelihood outcomes among rural communities in the Mtwara Rural District of Tanzania. This study employed a cross-sectional research methodology with a proportionately stratified sample of 260 participants. A questionnaire and interview guide were used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data during focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and household surveys. It examines net annual income in Tanzanian shillings (TAS), the monetary value of a household's assets in TAS, and food security using the Household Food Insufficiency Access Scale (HFIAS). The study revealed that nearby households (treated group) had much stronger food security than distant (control) households by 9.528 to 8.189 across near neighbor matching (NNM) and by 9.444 to 7.619 across radius caliper matching, with these differences being statistically significant at t = 2.0 and t = 2.5, respectively. The results suggest that the government should pursue measures that increase rural households' chances for off-farm jobs in order to improve their well-being.

This study proposes a GIS-based multi-criteria approach to identify areas vulnerable to subsidence in the world's largest ongoing urban socio-environmental disaster, caused by salt-gem urban mining in Maceió, Alagoas State, Brazil. The analysis revealed critical areas concentrated in regions with salt-gem mines and soil composed of sedimentary rocks near water bodies, where the local population faces significant socio-economic challenges. In addition to addressing environmental vulnerabilities, the developed methodology considers social and economic risks, aiming for integrated actions between the population and the environment. The FITradeoff multi-criteria method used in the geospatial model showed benefits, including a significant reduction in the number of inconsistencies required for geospatial decision-making, ensuring efficiency in the development of prevention and mitigation strategies. The Spatial Inference model showed a high level of accuracy of 88.89 % in classifying the vulnerability of Maceió’s neighborhoods to subsidence, although it faced challenges when assessing neighborhoods with distinctive characteristics. The proposed preference-driven multi-criteria model incorporates decision-maker preferences, opinions, and knowledge of this disaster. Under specific conditions, this model can offer tailored solutions that align with stakeholders’ objectives. The results provide valuable insights for the development of public policies and risk management strategies in affected areas and areas vulnerable to subsidence due to urban mining in Maceió, and may be applicable to other regions of Brazil and the world facing similar challenges.

The study critically explores the impact of Ghana government's ban on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) on poverty-endemic communities in northern Ghana. The data were sourced through face-to-face in-depth interviews with 35 miner households across two ASM communities in the Nadowli-Kaleo District of the Upper West Region. The findings revealed that the ban on ASM has mounted intense financial pressure on the rural households’ efforts to improve their incomes, supply their food needs, and cater for the households’ healthcare expenditure. The households are struggling to pay: (a) utility bills (water and electricity), (b) school fees and (c) apprenticeship fees. The siting of a military post in the study area prevents the local people from mining, and also their access to economic trees such as the shea (Vitellaria paradoxa), dawadawa (Parkia biglobosa), and baobab (Adansonia digitata) has been curtailed amidst the physical injuries and psychological trauma accompanying the military action. While formalisation of ASM is a major requirement, its rural livelihood prospects can be enhanced through financial and technological support and the creation of a conducive working environment for the local miners. This can be a major step towards poverty eradication in the poorest but mineral-rich regions in sub-Saharan Africa.

The study examines critical factors influencing psychosocial well-being (PWB) of mining-induced displaced and resettled persons. Employing cross-sectional research design, 120 participants were drawn from three mining-induced resettled communities by three displacers using stratified random sampling method. Exploratory factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted, and the suitability of our data for factor analysis was assessed through Bartlett's test of Sphericity, revealing significance (p < 0.05), and a high Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy (KMO = 0.759). The findings shed light on the interplay of critical factors such as the socioeconomic environment and community infrastructure, social harmony and cultural integration, community connectivity and recreational facilities, and basic needs and security. These factors significantly impact the psychosocial well-being of individuals who have been displaced and resettled due to mining activities. Each of these factors includes specific variables that directly influence the well-being of the affected population. Additionally, the research uncovered that individuals affected by mining-induced displacement and resettlement undergo a decline in psychosocial well-being due to continuous exposure to these identified factors. To address these findings, the researchers developed a psychosocial well-being framework. This framework aims to guide policies regarding displacement and resettlement resulting from mining activities, emphasizing sustained livelihood options and social equity post-resettlement. The study recommends that future research should investigate how mining-induced displacement and resettlement affect other vulnerable groups, such as tenants who are not included in the resettlement process.

In recent years, countries where extraction of so-called green minerals occur have increasingly asserted themselves. Negatively dubbed as resources nationalism, these political decisions are more akin to a willingness to increase in-country value added for regions often suffering from centuries of colonial extractivism. In the battery sector, these strategies led to cobalt, lithium, and nickel producers aiming to develop local manufacturing of battery components. This article provides a prospective analysis of these dynamics and takes the example of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the recent announcement to establish the country as a supplier of cathodes materials and potentially even manufactured batteries. However, the road to becoming a midstream supplier is long and the current state of infrastructures presents significant barriers to a shift in the country's industrial base. Throughout this article, informed by ethnographic work, I address these challenges in the context of the low-carbon transition. The sustained post-colonial state of Congo's extractive complex and its location at the core of geopolitical competitions constitute a significant obstacle to the establishment of this new industry, while the metal-rich country tried to find its way and raison d'être in the volt rush currently underway.

The evolution of the Finnish mining-sceptical movement (MSM) is described and situated within the context of Finnish environmental protest waves (EPWs). This evolution occurred through the uranium debate (UD; since 2005) and mining debate (MD; 2010–ongoing). These stages are described and compared with the characteristics of the Finnish EPWs. The purpose is to determine whether the evolution of the MSM represents a new EPW in Finland.

Five EPWs are reported to have occurred in Finland. After the end of the last EPW at the beginning of 2000s, the Finnish environmental movement lost its impetus, followed by a swell/latency. However, the climate change debate returned nuclear energy to the agenda. Together with the rebirth of the Finnish mining industry resulting from activities carried out by foreign companies, uranium exploration restarted in Finland in 2005, which raised opposition. The UD revitalised the environmental movement and opened spaces for local resistance in the countryside. Even though uranium exploration ended in Finland, the UD continued as attention shifted towards other projects associated with uranium. The environmental problems of the Talvivaara mine increased opposition and directed the MD towards projects also focused on other commodities. Because of its duration, impacts, and importance, the evolution of the MSM is suggested to form the sixth Finnish EPW.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in female participation in the mining industry in Chile. To achieve this positive trend, universities and the mining industry have addressed the gender bias problem by implementing different initiatives. This work describes the initiatives developed in Chile at various levels with the aim of attracting a female workforce to the mining industry. Initiatives directly tied to the mining field in early-stage education are relatively scarce. Secondary schools have various local initiatives, heavily dependent on isolated actions rather than an integrated system promoting female participation in mining from an early age. At the university level, only a few women naturally choose degrees leading to careers in the mining industry, requiring efforts to attract more women into STEM careers. Most mining companies have adopted diversity and inclusion policies, reflecting a commitment to fostering gender diversity. In all cases, it is advisable to assess the impact of implementing changes to make necessary adjustments in future initiatives. Furthermore, concerted efforts should be made to implement initiatives in earlier stages and focused on retaining female talent while they are in the mining industry.