Mining Industry and Sustainable Development

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Since the end of World War Ⅱ, most of the governments began to recover their economies from the effects of the war, and these countries had very successful reconstructions. However, there were some issues that came out during the prosperity such as environmental and social damage. In this circumstance, the notion that was called “sustainable development” was proposed. Sustainable development, a phrase that can be seen in newspapers and academic journals more frequently in recent years, has became one of the most concerned issues in the world during the past several decades. This notion seems very important, but what is sustainable development exactly? The most broadly received definition of sustainable development is the one used in 1987 by the Brundtland Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, which defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Breaking new ground: mining, minerals, and sustainable development : the report of the MMSD project 2002, 21). Based on this definition, it seems that mining industry and sustainable development are not compatible because ore is a finite and non-renewable resource. However, the continuing exploration by mining corporations and adoption of new technologies can still make mining sustainable even though the demand for ores increases every year . Besides that, Mining can contribute to sustainable development of a particular community in a number of ways: by creating financial capital that is in turn usefully employed in more diverse enterprises; building human capital by increasing the levels of education and technical skills of local employees and others who provide goods and services to the operations; and generating social capital when a share of the wealth

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