Perception of socio-environmental conflicts in mining areas: The case of the mirador project in Ecuador

Abstract

In order to analyse the socio-environmental conflicts it is essential to pay attention to people's perception, because environmental problems can lead to different forms of conflict according to local economic and socio-cultural context. The main objective of this research is to determine the perception of the public about the different socio-environmental conflicts in the area of influence of the Mirador Project, the first project of large-scale mining in Ecuador. To do so, a representative sample of the general population was used to analyse how socio-environmental conflicts were perceived. Furthermore, the arguments and reasons that led people to take extreme positions on mining were also analysed. In both cases, the opinions about perceived conflicts at the time of the investigation and expected threats with the start of mining phase were examined.