Pit limit design has,up to date,focused mainly on maximization of economic profit alone,with environmental and social issues largely ignored.This paper focuses on incorporating both environmental and social issues in ...Pit limit design has,up to date,focused mainly on maximization of economic profit alone,with environmental and social issues largely ignored.This paper focuses on incorporating both environmental and social issues in the pit limit design process and provides an approach to pit limit optimization that is in compliance with sustainable development.The case study demonstrates that ecological costs have a substantial down-sizing effect and social benefits have a substantial up-sizing effect on the optimal pit limit.When the ecological costs are factored in,the optimal pit limit is 37.5%smaller than the economically optimal pit limit.However,when the social benefits are factored in,the optimal pit limit is 48.3%larger than the economically optimal one.The overall optimal pit limit,with the economic profit,ecological costs and social benefits simultaneously considered,is a result of balancing conflicting goals of maximizing economic profit,minimizing ecological cost,and maximizing social benefit.展开更多
The limited character of minerals must be recognized in the development of mining activities, as well as the necessity to form bonds that allow mining advantages to be enjoyed long after natural resources have been co...The limited character of minerals must be recognized in the development of mining activities, as well as the necessity to form bonds that allow mining advantages to be enjoyed long after natural resources have been consumed. Because mining activities have the potential to affect a wide variety of environmental entities and are of interest to a large range of stakeholder groups, the sector has a lot of room to improve its sustainability. According to studies, the economic advantages of copper mining operations in Zambia are not allocated equally among stakeholders in the process of granting mining rights to potential investors. This paper examines how the existing system of granting mining rights in Zambia impacts the distribution of economic gains among copper mining project stakeholders.展开更多
基金The authors are grateful for the financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52074061,51974060,U1903216)Northeastern University Doctoral Basal Research Fund,China(No.N2001006).
文摘Pit limit design has,up to date,focused mainly on maximization of economic profit alone,with environmental and social issues largely ignored.This paper focuses on incorporating both environmental and social issues in the pit limit design process and provides an approach to pit limit optimization that is in compliance with sustainable development.The case study demonstrates that ecological costs have a substantial down-sizing effect and social benefits have a substantial up-sizing effect on the optimal pit limit.When the ecological costs are factored in,the optimal pit limit is 37.5%smaller than the economically optimal pit limit.However,when the social benefits are factored in,the optimal pit limit is 48.3%larger than the economically optimal one.The overall optimal pit limit,with the economic profit,ecological costs and social benefits simultaneously considered,is a result of balancing conflicting goals of maximizing economic profit,minimizing ecological cost,and maximizing social benefit.
文摘The limited character of minerals must be recognized in the development of mining activities, as well as the necessity to form bonds that allow mining advantages to be enjoyed long after natural resources have been consumed. Because mining activities have the potential to affect a wide variety of environmental entities and are of interest to a large range of stakeholder groups, the sector has a lot of room to improve its sustainability. According to studies, the economic advantages of copper mining operations in Zambia are not allocated equally among stakeholders in the process of granting mining rights to potential investors. This paper examines how the existing system of granting mining rights in Zambia impacts the distribution of economic gains among copper mining project stakeholders.
