Community Resilience During and After COVID-19: What Role for the Mining Industry?
8 April 2021
The mining industry is inextricably linked to the fortunes and futures of the communities that live alongside its operations. When change, shocks or significant events occur that effect these communities, the industry can play a significant role in supporting them to endure, bounce back and even accelerate development progress.
Summary
- COVID-19 has challenged, and continues to challenge, the mining industry and the communities that live alongside it.
- It has brought into stark relief the key role industry members can play in supporting communities to withstand and endure even longer-term shocks.
- Even amidst the ongoing hardship and tragedy being experienced in many communities around the globe because of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been positive re-evaluation of the status quo in many aspects of life.
- There is an opportunity for the mining industry to participate in broadening the concept of community resilience to reflect successful adaptation to any change, whether it be negative, positive, or even both simultaneously.
- The mining industry may consider a broad definition of community resilience to mean 'the capacity of communities to respond, adapt, and thrive regardless of challenge or context' as a starting point for new approaches to building resilience.