Sustainability of mineral resources in Latvia

Abstract

Sustainable use of mineral resources involves the interaction of economic, environmental and social processes, in which economic interests have to be adapted to the other interests. Sustainable management of mineral resources has to take into consideration the location, quality and uses of the resources. The above requires exploiting natural resources in the most efficient way so that the needs of mankind could be met in the future. The following mineral resources are extracted in all the five planning regions of Latvia: gypsum, limestone, dolomite, quartz sand, sand, gravel and clay. The quality of mineral resources is classified into categories: A - mineral resource reserves, N - incompletely explored resources and P - unexplored resources have been discovered, which play an important role in defining the uses of the resources. Mineral resources are extracted and used in the construction, repairs and maintenance of roads as well as in the construction of buildings. The research problem raises a question whether the exploitation of mineral deposits or mineral resources generates economic gains and whether the extraction and consumption of mineral resources increases with an increase in the standard of living in the country. Based on this the research aim was to analyses the extraction of mineral resources in Latvia as a whole and in the planning regions of Latvia. Research results and a comparative analysis revealed that the quantity of mineral resources extracted was not strongly related to the other economic indicators, i.e. the extraction and consumption of mineral resources did not directly affect economic growth in the country. However, part of mineral resources was extracted at partly explored extraction sites, accounting for approximately 8 % of the total quantity extracted. This economic activity was legal, yet it was not sustainable and did not comply with the sustainability strategies of the European Union as well as Latvia.