Explorando a mineração de pequena escala : caracterização, impactos e relações de minério-dependência

Abstract

Mining practices in many countries have contributed to development by generating jobs, promoting economic growth and improving local infrastructure. Mining can be organized according to its size and production, covering large, medium and small scale operations. Small- scale mining (SSM), in particular, has been an activity practiced by many developing countries, employing millions of people in low technology and high labor intensity operations. Despite being pointed out as an activity of great economic importance, SSM faces significant challenges, including the lack of a clear understanding of its characterization, its impacts and its possible relationships with local development. Thus, this research aimed to understand how literature in the field of applied social sciences presents MPE and its impacts on territories, identifying possibilities and limitations for local development. For the elaboration of this work, integrative and bibliometric reviews were carried out. The work is organized into three articles in order to contribute to a better understanding of SSM and its nuances, offering a broader and more fundamental view on its practices and effects. It is believed that these reviews can contribute to the construction of more targeted, effective and sustainable public policies that can maximize the benefits and mitigate the negative impacts of small-scale mining in the territories where this type of activity is inserted.