Developing models to assess the social impact of mining: An exploratory study trough necessary conditions analysis (NCA)

The mining sector has been in the spotlight for many years because of its negative impact on society and the environment. The focus on sustainable development at the international and national levels has led to increased criticism of mining, creating issues on numerous occasions. However, the progress of many developing countries depends on the mining sector, which can provide economic benefits to local communities. This paper aims to identify the benefits that the mining sector should provide to local communities to offset its negative effects on the environment. The paper explores not only the negative environmental effects of mining but also its positive side. Using necessary condition analysis (NCA), social action, physical infrastructures, basic services, health, and education are studied from an economic development perspective to identify the necessary levels of these factors in order to achieve the environmental satisfaction of local communities. The results indicate that education, health, and basic services have a crucial impact on the local community's environmental satisfaction. This finding suggests that local communities perceive the effect of the mining sector as positive when it provides education, health, and basic services to the surrounding area.