RISK PERCEPTIONS IN MINING COMMUNITIES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. A CASE STUDY IN THE APUSENI MOUNTAINS, ROMANIA.

The way people perceive risks determines their reactions to and engagement in public campaigns, new development projects or clean-up and remediation initiatives. Since local communities represent important stakeholders in the sustainable development of a region, their beliefs and social representations of risk are important indicators that need a careful analysis. Mining communities are of particular interest to social and environmental scientists given the long-term pollution resulting from such activities and the exposure to harmful chemical compounds. The paper examines the perception of environmental risks induced by mining in one still active and two former mining areas in the Apuseni Mountains (Alba County), in Romania. The results achieved from 292 questionnaires are interpreted in order to determine the locals’ knowledge on and perception of the environmental risks they are exposed to. The results represent the input for improved local governance, as well as community engagement opportunities in the sustainable development of this mining region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]