Social representations of mining activity after an environmental improvement program in the manganese district of Molango, in Mexico, and their implications for risk management

Abstract

An environmental improvement program was implemented to reduce population exposure to manganese in the manganese mining district of Molango, in Mexico. This paper analyzes whether social representations about mining activity changed after the program and examines their implications for risk management. We used a qualitative design to compare prior with current social representations. Region residents insist that contamination affects their environment and health. In contrast, public officials and mining company staff find no evidence of harm; they regard mining as a source of regional and community development. Our findings indicate that residents know little about the environmental program. These representations hinder the achievement of cooperation agreements and risk management. We recommend that manganese risk management implements a comprehensive environmental recovery program that includes the perspectives of all the social actors. Social representation theory served to understand the discourses of social actors on manganese mining, taking into account their social context.

Keywords:

• social representations
• risk management
• social participation
• manganese
• Mexico

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all of the residents in Cuxhuacán, Chiconcoac,Tolago, Chipoco, Malila and Nonoalco, as well as the public officials and the mining company for their time and willingness to participate in the interviews, and the local authorities who facilitated the development of this study.

Note

Notes

1 Portulaca oleracea

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC), project number [103052-001] and from the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) project number [salud-2011-1-161896].