Sustainable Development Practices in Mining Industry

Abstract

Sustainable development (SD), an all-inclusive, somewhat ambiguous concept basically means economic and social development that endures over the long-term and its core ethic is intergenerational equity. Sustainability principles have application for all stages of mine life cycle – exploration, mine planning, construction, mineral extraction, mine closure and post-closure reclamation and rehabilitation. This paper highlights the basic concepts and philosophy of sustainable development practices for mining industry. It also discusses in detail the various strategies to be adopted to make mining socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. It also elaborates important aspects of promulgated sustainable development framework for the mineral sector in India besides International practices on SD in Australia, Canada and South Africa.