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COMPARATIVE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS IN THREE MINING AREAS OF THE APUSENI MOUNTAINS (ROMANIA)
Abstract
Mining has been for centuries the main economic activity in the Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, NW of Romania. However, due to the low level of productivity and high production costs, the extractive industry became over the last twenty years one of the large uncompetitive sectors of the Romanian economy. The study area is one where mining activities have impacted both the environment and the social and economic state of the region and it comprises three mining areas located in Alba County: Baia de Aries Mining Area; Abrud ? Rosia Montana ? Rosia Poieni Mining Area and Zlatna - Almasu Mare Mining Area, totaling approx. 30,000 people. The main ores exploited in the study area were gold, silver and polymetallic ores, with only one copper mine open at present. The paper presents a comparative vulnerability analysis of the three mining areas, taking into account vulnerability indicators from the environmental and socio-economic aspects of the studied area. The findings indicate vulnerability levels varying from low to high, depending on the specificities of the area, the high values being accounted for by the long history and the extent of mining operations. The socio-demographic indicators contribute most to the increased vulnerability levels, because of the high demographic dependency rate, high demographic aging, and high migration rate. The economic aspects and environmental issues add to the overall vulnerability, hence sustainable development issues need to be tackled in the entire mining perimeter.
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