Open research questions in Mining and Resource Management

What the literature leaves open

• The paper reveals that youth miners have limited knowledge of the grave health effects of mercury because such knowledge is based on what is transmitted by their older counterparts.

  Youth Artisanal and Small‐Scale Miners' Perspectives on the Health Effects of Mercury · 2026 · DOI

• This research addresses a critical gap in understanding the environmental impact of natural rock aggregate production in Sri Lanka.

  Impact of Crushed Natural Aggregate on Environmental Footprint of the Construction Industry: Enhancing Sustainability in Aggregate Production · 2024 · DOI

• Absence of georeferenced lease boundary databases. Lack of structured rehabilitation frameworks. Inflated land prices demanded by villagers and unauthorized entry into mining zones.

  Soapstone Mining in Uttarakhand: White Gold or Himalayan Burden? A Socio-Economic, Geological, and Policy Perspective on Sustainable Resource Development · 2026 · DOI

• There has yet to be a sustained theoretical engagement with deep sea mining as it relates to the specific geographies, histories, and cultural perspectives of Oceania. The region lacks a nuanced understanding of the cultural and spiritual perspectives of island communities.

  Framing deep sea mining in/with oceania · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies technical challenges related to the development of tourism and recreational clusters, including the need for regulatory measures and the mitigation of geoecological challenges. The study highlights domain challenges, such as the decline of coal production and export, and the need for alternative economic strategies.

  On geoecological assessment of economic diversification in coal-mining regions · 2026 · DOI

• The results of the study are limited by the use of generalized data. The social and economic conditions of coal-mining regions are not homogeneous, requiring consideration of territorial specificity.

  On geoecological assessment of economic diversification in coal-mining regions · 2026 · DOI

• The surge in mining in strongholds of tropical biodiversity. The need for ecologically responsible nickel supply practices. The potential impacts of nickel mining on biodiversity and climate targets.

  Growing nickel supply from the tropics threatens priority conservation areas · 2026 · DOI

• The study relies on a modelled scenario, which may not reflect real-world outcomes. The model does not account for all factors that may influence nickel supply and demand. The study highlights the need for further research on the impacts of nickel mining on biodiversity and climate targets.

  Growing nickel supply from the tropics threatens priority conservation areas · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies can investigate the impact of the DPEM's activities on environmental protection and social responsibility. Research can also focus on the development of strategies to improve transparency and social responsibility in the mining sector.

  La contribution de la Direction de Protection de l'Environnement Minier (DPEM) dans la gouvernance minière en République Démocratique du Congo: Impacts Sociaux Environnementaux · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of effective implementation of environmental regulations in the mining sector. The need for improved transparency and social responsibility in the mining sector.

  La contribution de la Direction de Protection de l'Environnement Minier (DPEM) dans la gouvernance minière en République Démocratique du Congo: Impacts Sociaux Environnementaux · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the effects of mining on soil degradation in the Rusororo Sector, Rwanda - The research aims to address this gap by investigating the relationships between mining activities and soil degradation

  Assessment of Negative Impacts of Mining on Soil in Rusororo Sector · 2026 · DOI

• The study only considers the Pampana River in Sierra Leone. The sample size is limited to 50 respondents. The study relies on self-reported data.

  Assessing the Impact of Natural Resource Exploitation on Environmental Degradation: A Case Study of the Pampana River, Sierra Leone · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need to evaluate the impact of natural resource exploitation on environmental degradation. There is a lack of understanding of the environmental consequences of resource exploitation in the Pampana River.

  Assessing the Impact of Natural Resource Exploitation on Environmental Degradation: A Case Study of the Pampana River, Sierra Leone · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in understanding the motivations and achievements of artisanal diamond and gold miners in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo. The research highlights the need for further study on the factors driving the influx of actors into mineral trading.

  Essai d’une analyse critique sur la motivation et la réalisation des acteurs de l’exploitation minière artisanale de diamant et de l’or à Kisangani dans la province de la Tshopo, RDC · 2026 · DOI

• The mismatch between geological realities and the downstream industrial structure. The lack of a comprehensive assessment of Indonesia's nickel potential.

  CONTRASTING LATERITIC NICKEL ORE CHARACTERISTICS IN EASTERN INDONESIA: THE URGENCY OF SHIFTING FROM RKEF TO HPAL · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should continue to develop and refine the concept of criticality as a relational construct. Further studies should explore the implications of criticality for policymakers and industry leaders, particularly in the context of Brazil and Latin America. Research should also examine the governance of critical minerals in relation to territory, water, Indigenous peoples, prior consultation, income distribution, and the social licence to operate.

  Critical minerals, geopolitics and sovereignty: Brazil's institutional challenge · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature on critical minerals, which tends to treat criticality as an absolute attribute of a substance rather than a relational construct. The review highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of criticality and its implications for policymakers and industry leaders.

  Critical minerals, geopolitics and sovereignty: Brazil's institutional challenge · 2026 · DOI

• Raw MDMER data; unresolved Legacy MDMER data, 2014-2018; unresolved FDP-to-receiving-water mapping; unresolved Entity corporate-structure proof; unresolved Court-ordered action/environmentalmanagement plan text…

  Source Governance for Environmental Enforcement: Claim Ceilings, Public Reconstructability, and the ArcelorMittal Quebec Fisheries Act Outcome · 2026 · DOI

• Charging document / count particulars; unresolved limitation Raw MDMER data; unresolved Legacy MDMER data, 2014-2018; unresolved FDP-to-receiving-water mapping; unresolved Entity corporate-structure proof; unresolved Court-ordered action/environmentalmanagement plan text…

  Source Governance for Environmental Enforcement: Claim Ceilings, Public Reconstructability, and the ArcelorMittal Quebec Fisheries Act Outcome · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies are needed to assess the implementation of a circular economy in the DRC's mining sector. Research is needed to identify the challenges and barriers to adopting a circular economy in the DRC's mining sector. Studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of a circular economy in reducing environmental and social impacts in the DRC's mining sector.

  A review of circular economy approaches in the mining sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo for responsible resource exploitation and sustainable development · 2026 · DOI

• The DRC's mining sector faces sustainability issues, including environmental and social impacts. The adoption of a circular economy can help mitigate these issues. There is a need to assess the opportunities and benefits of adopting a circular economy in the DRC's mining sector.

  A review of circular economy approaches in the mining sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo for responsible resource exploitation and sustainable development · 2026 · DOI

• The exploitative nature of capitalist extraction. The lack of equitable resource governance and social justice. The environmental degradation caused by artisanal mining.

  Artisanal cobalt mining communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: resilience against cannibal capitalism · 2026 · DOI

• Potential biases inherent in documentary production. Limited representation of diverse stakeholder perspectives. The critique of capitalism by Fraser may neglect important destabilizing tendencies within the system.

  Artisanal cobalt mining communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: resilience against cannibal capitalism · 2026 · DOI

• The need for comprehensive approaches to address underlying socio-economic vulnerabilities. The lack of effective policing strategies to mitigate unlawful mining.

  A qualitative study of factors driving and influencing unlawful mining in the City of Ekurhuleni · 2026 · DOI

• Given the escalating challenges posed by illegal mining and the complex interplay of socio-economic and political factors identified by this study, comprehensive and multifaceted approaches are essential for mitigating its harmful effects on the environment and affected communities. Building on the insights from this research and existing literature, the following recommendations are proposed: Address socio-economic root causes: i. ii. Implement and expand programs that offer sustainable economic alternatives and job-creation initiatives in communities that are affected by illegal mining. This includes vocational training, support for small businesses, and infrastructure development. Develop targeted poverty alleviation programs that address the immediate needs of vulnerable populations who often turn to illegal mining out of desperation. Strengthening law enforcement and regulatory frameworks i. ii. iii. iv. Increase resources (personnel, equipment, and training) for law enforcement agencies (e.g., the SAPS, EMPD, and Hawks) specifically tasked with combating illegal mining. Enhance inter-agency coordination through joint task forces and intelligence-sharing frameworks to more effectively disrupt organized unlawful mining syndicates (Johnson, 2019). Implement and enforce stricter penalties for illegal mining offenses that target kingpins and politically connected individuals who facilitate these activities. Conduct timely legislative amendments to close regulatory loopholes and adapt to evolving illegal mining tactics to ensure the effective protection of natural resources. This aligns with recommendations for emergency regulations, stricter enforcement, and the closure of unlicensed operations (Hilson, 2017; Damonte, 2018; Adetoro & Adetoro, 2021).

  A qualitative study of factors driving and influencing unlawful mining in the City of Ekurhuleni · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Mining and Resource Management

• The curse of natural resources · European Economic Review · 2001 · 2,628 citations
• Material worlds? Resource geographies and the `matter of nature' · Progress in Human Geography · 2006 · 595 citations
• Resource Curse or Not: A Question of Appropriability* · Scandinavian Journal of Economics · 2007 · 420 citations
• Resource Wars: The Anthropology of Mining · Annual Review of Anthropology · 2003 · 415 citations
• Mining and Social Movements: Struggles Over Livelihood and Rural Territorial Development in the Andes · World Development · 2008 · 408 citations
• Contention and Ambiguity: Mining and the Possibilities of Development · Development and Change · 2008 · 394 citations
• Community Economic Identity: The Coal Industry and Ideology Construction in West Virginia · Rural Sociology · 2010 · 375 citations
• Mining industry and sustainable development: time for change · Food and Energy Security · 2017 · 353 citations
• A Diamond Curse? · Journal of Conflict Resolution · 2005 · 318 citations
• Corporate social responsibility and the mining industry: conflicts and constructs · Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management · 2004 · 310 citations

Most recent work

• Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) in Mining: An Integrated Institutional and Agency Theory Perspective · Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management · 2026
• Bidding for governance: rebel vs. state labor-retention strategies in conflicts · Journal of Peace Research · 2026
• Refusal of lithium mining in Serbia: exploring post-green extractivism · Globalizations · 2026
• Dynamic capabilities and strategic responses to transition risks in Indonesian coal companies · Discover Sustainability · 2026
• Principles for ethical research in the Himalayas: Decolonising research ethics across the disciplines · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · 2026
• Growing nickel supply from the tropics threatens priority conservation areas · Nature Ecology & Evolution · 2026
• Time on hold: Justice, governance, and the politics of transitions in critical mineral frontiers · Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions · 2026
• Dutch disease and the resource curse: the progression of views from exchange rates to women’s agency and well-being · World Development · 2026
• “We’re going to tear up the Caldera so we can have an electric car”: Wrestling with prospective lithium mining in the Oregon desert · Geoforum · 2026
• The political economy of Chile’s coal transition · Geoforum · 2026

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