Section 3: mining in the developing world

摘要

This section brings together case-study analyses of environmental, economic and ethical performance of the mining industry operating within Less Developed Countries (LDCs). Mining activities often play a significant role in the economies and societies of LDCs, accounting for large proportions of export earnings and an important source of employment. In the last 15-20 years, many of the world's poorest and indebted LDCs have undergone 'structural adjustment' in the wake of crises typified by the failure of state-led growth, high inflation, fiscal deficits and soaring public-sector debts. The fundamental 'adjustment' these economies have made has been to align themselves with the power of the 'free-market', forces driven by developed world economies such as the U.S. and U.K. since the early-1980s. Along with industry privatisation, greater trade liberalisation is the corner-stone of economic 'globalisation' where proponents of such 'neo-liberal' policies argue that LDCs stand to benefit from the resulting influx of foreign investments, skills and technology which they argue will 'trickle down' for the benefit of all. Such arguments are however dangerously simplistic, and whilst helping to contribute some powerful rhetorical devises into the dominant development discourse, fail to recognise the socially 'embedded' nature of all economic activity.. With this in mind, many of the papers presented in this section address the wider context of social, cultural and institutional differences between the countries of the 'south', and those from where market reform policies have been conceived and promoted. In addition to critical analyses of the trends towards greater market-driven models of mineral exploitation, and its implications for poverty reduction, this section also includes papers addressing the ways in which environmental problems are dealt with in LDCs in the era of 'globalisation'.