Complexity and interdependence in local mineral extraction planning: The Nasa Mountain Quartz Case in Northern Norway

The Green Transition demands mineral extraction. The importance for Europe to gain independence from China within this area is also high on the political agenda, which has resulted in a renewal of interest in mineral-extraction in the Nordic countries, including Norway. Despite the increasing demand at the global, European and national level, the planning process itself though takes place at the local level, raising issues of complexities, contradictions and dependencies. This study focuses on the Nasa Mountain Quartz Case in Northern Norway,and finds that the local mineral extraction planning process is best described as a “wicked problem”. Different local concerns – regional development vs environmental concerns and violation of reindeer areas in a cross-border context - as well as different global demands and conventions - contradict each other, making the presumably limited local planning process of Rana municipality quite demanding, crossing sectorial and the local, national and global/EU domain. Increased understanding and awareness of this is needed at all levels.