The Rise in Conflict Associated with Mining Operations: What Lies Beneath?
Publisher: Canadian International Resources and Development Institute
Author(s): Tony Andrews, Bernarda Elizalde, Philippe Le Billon, Chang Hoon Oh, David Reyes, and Ian Thompson
Date: 2017
Topics: Conflict Causes, Extractive Resources
The purpose of this research project is to delve beneath the surface manifestations of conflict related to mining activities in order to develop a deeper understanding of their nature and uncover their root causes, systems and pathways. We believe that a more systematic understanding of conflict will help those involved to apply more effective preventive rather than reactive measures and to further improve approaches to prevention, management, mitigation and transformation.
This study was motivated by indications that conflict incidents associated with mining operations worldwide, have increased dramatically in the period from about 2000 to 2013. We also observed that in spite of a rich literature on mining-related conflicts, most studies have focused on the company-community interface and there are still limitations to our understanding of what lies beneath their obvious manifestations. Furthermore, there has been relatively limited, systematic analysis and documentation of the individual and collective behaviors of the players involved, their interrelationships and how they actually contribute to conflict situations over time.