Minerals, Wealth and Progress - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 20

important. Although comprehensive social assessments might be seen as overly expensive,
or simply not possible, good planning in the early stages can anticipate or prevent prob-
lems later on.
The World Bank's International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Performance Standard 7
recognizes
that Indigenous Peoples, as social groups with identities that are distinct from domi-
nant groups in national societies, are often among the most marginalized and vul-
nerable segments of the population. Their economic, social and legal status often
limits their capacity to defend their interests in, and rights to, lands and natural and
cultural resources, and may restrict their ability to participate in and benefit from
development. They are particularly vulnerable if their lands and resources are trans-
formed, encroached upon by outsiders, or significantly degraded. Their languages,
cultures, religions, spiritual beliefs, and institutions may also be under threat. These
characteristics expose Indigenous Peoples to different types of risks and severity of
impacts, including loss of identity, culture, and natural resource based livelihoods, as
well as exposure to impoverishment and disease (IFC 2006).

Perception of Change Differs
Changes in the physical environment may affect all living things in that environment. The
human environment can also be profoundly altered in what Berger and Luckman (1966)
have termed its social construction of reality, which at its simplest, refers to a communi-
ty's shared perceptions of reality, based on traditional as well as contemporary beliefs. The
community of mining company executives, for example, will share a particular view of the
social value of a large mining project, which will probably differ significantly from the par-
ticular view of a traditional community within the purview of a proposed mine. It is quite
possible, in fact, that both communities will support it, although for different reasons.
A mining project creates opportunities for local communities, including Indigenous
Peoples, to participate in and benefit from mine operations. Changes to local lifestyle can
be viewed as either positive or negative, depending on one's point of view. Some will view
the move to a more money-oriented lifestyle and economy as a sign of positive develop-
ment, for others, as UNCTAD (2006) observes, it is sign of a destructive erosion of the
cultural fabric and heritage.
Due to the external social and environmental costs of mining, some development
experts and interest groups see natural mineral resources as a curse, not a blessing. Their
view of mining projects is that one cannot assume a country's economy will automatically
benefit, over the long-term, from the exploitation of its natural resources. On the contrary,
they argue, countries with mining end up with the burden of long-term environmental
costs without lasting benefits. The perceived discrepancy between the benefits of industrial
development and the needs of environmental conservation has now become the subject of
a sharp controversy between industry and protectionists, a dispute in which mining com-
panies often find themselves in the centre.
There is no doubt that mining can cause profound environmental and social change. And
it also has to be acknowledged that influential interest groups or individuals may limit the
potential benefits for the broader public. That said, modern mining practices and appropri-
ate planning when fully and properly implemented can allow not only the mitigation of the
negative effects of large mine projects, but also promulgation of initiatives that contribute
substantially to regional and national development. Mineral and coal deposits are a passive
resource. Whether a curse or blessing will be determined by the commitment of both the
host country and the mining company to equitable and sustainable development.

Changes in the physical
environment may affect all living
things in that environment.

Whether a curse or blessing
will be determined by the
commitment of both the host
country and the mining company
to equitable and sustainable
development.