Environmental impact of mining and its social responsibilities on rural communities

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mining activities generate significant economic, social, and environmental challenges that affect the sustainability of surrounding local communities. social responsibility is a fundamental mechanism for mitigating negative impacts and improving local well-being. The primary goal of this article was to investigate the ecological consequences of the Las Bambas mining company's operations on the local residents of the Cotabambas community in Peru.METHODS: This research employed a mixed-methods design, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. This study was conducted was characterized as a non-experimental, cross-sectional study aimed at providing explanatory insights. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire (۱ = very frequently to ۵ = never) was designed, validated, and administered to ۳۷۷ residents living within the area of ​​influence of a large-scale mining operation. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ۱۰ local authorities and political representatives, supplemented by an observation checklist adapted from previous studies. Four hypotheses were established to examine the relationship between mining operations and their social responsibility initiatives, along with their influence on the adjacent communityFINDINGS: The findings revealed strong associations between mining social responsibility and environmental variables (n = ۳۷۷, p < ۰.۰۵): Rho = ۰.۶۱۰ for residents' perceptions, Rho = ۰.۵۷۵ for water resources, Rho = ۰.۵۱۰ for agricultural production, and Rho = ۰.۷۲۰ for livestock activity. These results imply that activities related to social responsibility are connected to mining, and as a result, they have not adequately addressed environmental degradation, causing detrimental effects on the water, soil, air, flora, and fauna in the surrounding communities, thereby impacting the quality of life of the population.CONCLUSION: Mining social responsibility practices show moderate statistical associations with environmental impact indicators in Cotabambas, with Spearman’s correlation coefficients ranging from ۰.۴۸۹ to ۰.۵۴۶ (p-value < ۰.۰۵ in all cases). In spite of continuous social responsibility efforts, these measures have not successfully alleviated the perceived environmental decline, especially in agricultural production and livestock operations. The evidence underscores the need to strengthen measurable, impact-oriented social responsibility strategies focused on ecological restoration and sustainable rural livelihoods in mining areas.

کلیدواژه ها:

Agricultural production ، community impact ، livestock activity ، Social responsibility.