Transformative Changes and Conflicts in the Carpathian Mountains in the Post-Communist Period

Abstract

In recent decades, the Carpathian Mountains have experienced substantial changes, with the transition from large-scale natural resource exploitation and processing during the communist era to the closure of most mines and processing facilities in the post-communist period. This research focuses on a case study from the Apuseni Mountains in the Western Carpathians, which are a well-known site for the exploitation of subsoil resources, including gold-silver deposits, which have been mined there since ancient times. The study uses a multi-stage methodology to analyse the transformative changes and related conflicts that have taken place in the post-communist period. We highlight national policies, programmes and projects designed to foster the socioeconomic development of areas affected by mining sector restructuring or dedicated to the Apuseni Mountains. The analysis of socioeconomic indicators reveals significant population decline and demographic ageing in this area, as well as economic restructuring. The landscape has undergone substantial transformation due to decades of large-scale extraction and processing of ore deposits. A significant part of the study focuses on the conflict surrounding plans for cyanide gold and silver mining at Roșia Montană, which have unfolded over several decades. We present an overview of the key events, main actors, impacts and management of these plans. A civic movement of unprecedented scale in post-communist Romania emerged to oppose this project, which has ultimately been halted due to public pressure. Efforts to preserve the Roman-era mining works, among others, also led to the inscription of the Roșia Montană Mining Landscape on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021, prohibiting any future mining activities in the area. These findings highlight that mountain regions are frequently seen as a strategic resource that is subject to central decision-making, in which they are often treated as peripheral. They also illustrate the struggle between resource exploitation and preservation, and between globalising pressures and local resistance, prompting multi-level mobilisation to preserve mountain heritage.