MINERÍA Y DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE EN ARGENTINA. ESTUDIO DE CASO

Abstract

Mining activity brings with it myths that distort reality about its ability to contribute to sustainable development, with two opposing positions existing, one that considers mining as inherently harmful and another that presents it as an engine of economic development. The first maintains that mining is harmful in all its aspects, a point ignoring its role in human history and the development of civilizations. Social opposition to mining focuses on the economic and technological characteristics of megamining, especially open pit mining. This modality was consolidated in Argentina after the reforms of the 90s, characterized by a high environmental impact due to the use of explosives and destructive processes that deteriorate the environment and affect nearby communities.
In contrast, the second myth presents mining as an “engine of development”, supported by significant investments and high export values. However, research shows that megamining promotes processes of foreignization and concentrations of wealth, limiting its effect on employment. Although a high demand for labor is generated in the initial phases of mining projects, the reality is that for every million dollars invested, between 0.5 and 2 direct jobs are created, which distorts the perception of job stability.
Growing Asian demand increased commodity trade in Latin America. While companies benefit from demand, governments increasingly depend on private investment and the rents generated by mining. Multinationals, seeking to maximize profits, have expanded their operational frontier to territories with unexploited natural reserves, causing social conflicts in local communities.
At the same time, these extractive industries represent one of the most complex cases in the evaluation of sustainability, given that they involve the management of non-renewable natural resources and generate significant environmental impacts, imposing their logic without consulting local populations. In Argentina, open pit metal exploitation produced significant socio-environmental impacts and the sector faces growing social questioning. This discussion covers the regulation and control mechanisms necessary to evaluate the sustainability of the activity.
This article analyzes the Río Colorado Potassium Project (PRC) located on the border of the province of Mendoza and Neuquén, examining its history, background, regulations, conflicts of interest and its apparent upcoming reactivation. Likewise, its social and environmental sustainability is investigated in the context of megamining. The research methodology used has a qualitative and open-type approach. A case study is carried out that, depending on its objective, is descriptive. The research design is non-experimental cross-sectional. Regarding its scope, it is descriptive-analytical. The results show that if properly developed and managed they could constitute an opportunity to promote sustainable development in local communities.