The problem of developing prospective hard coal deposits from the point of view of social and environmental conflicts with the use of AHP method

Abstract

In the recent years numerous socio-environmental conflicts have been reported in Poland and other European countries in relation to the development of new or reopening of abandoned mineral deposits. This paper examines possibilities of predicting which of the specified deposits are relatively less contentious with regard to the local social determinants. As the conducted research showed, the multi-criteria decision-making AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method can be successfully used to fulfill this goal. It allows for creating a preliminary ranking of selected deposits in terms of the risk of objections from the local mining stakeholders. As the example of the Oswiecim-Polanka deposit shows, an analysis of this kind also allows for comparing selected parts of the same area and thus facilitates the choice of optimal variant of its development in space. Further work on adjusting the AHP method to the specificity of mining is recommended so that it can become a useful tool in a decision-making process for public institutions (to make optimal decisions) as well as mining companies (to minimise investment risk).