Using Social, Economic and Land-Use Indices to Build a Local Sustainability Index in a Mining Region of the Sierra Tarahumara, Mexico

Carmelo Pinedo-Álvarez, Karla Ozuki Chacón-Chumacero, Alfredo Pinedo-Álvarez, Martín Martínez-Salvador, Marusia Rentería-Villalobos, Eduardo Santellano-Estrada and Sandra Rodríguez-Piñeros
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Carmelo Pinedo-Álvarez: Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecologia, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Periferico Francisco R. Almada Km 1, Chihuahua 31110, Mexico
Karla Ozuki Chacón-Chumacero: Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecologia, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Periferico Francisco R. Almada Km 1, Chihuahua 31110, Mexico
Alfredo Pinedo-Álvarez: Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecologia, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Periferico Francisco R. Almada Km 1, Chihuahua 31110, Mexico
Martín Martínez-Salvador: Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecologia, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Periferico Francisco R. Almada Km 1, Chihuahua 31110, Mexico
Marusia Rentería-Villalobos: Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecologia, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Periferico Francisco R. Almada Km 1, Chihuahua 31110, Mexico
Eduardo Santellano-Estrada: Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecologia, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Periferico Francisco R. Almada Km 1, Chihuahua 31110, Mexico
Sandra Rodríguez-Piñeros: Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecologia, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Periferico Francisco R. Almada Km 1, Chihuahua 31110, Mexico

Resources, 2017, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Ore mining has served as a predictor of economic wellbeing since it brought development to countries. However, these benefits do not always extend to all localities that comprised the center of this industry. This paper examined the contribution of mining to local communities. An index of local sustainability was constructed based on economic, social, and land-use data from twelve localities where mining and forestry are their major economic activities. Land-use variables were obtained from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM 5) images for 2000, and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI8) for 2014, while the socio-economic variables were collected in twelve localities with an 85-question survey. A sustainability index was developed for each group of variables—economic (ESI), social (SSI) and land-use sustainability index (LUSI)—to further build a local sustainability index (LSI). Three localities showed the highest ESI (0.61, 0.53 and 0.43) and SSI (0.90, 0.79 and 0.78), while two localities had the lowest values in the ESI and SSI. In contrast, the highest value of LUSI was found in two other different localities and in one with lower SSI. Income from mining activities is positively associated with the ESI and SSI, but there was no evidence of linear association with the LUSI. A local index of sustainability provides useful information for planning and development strategies.

Keywords: Chihuahua; sustainability; rural development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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