A FACE INVISÍVEL DA MINERAÇÃO: VULNERABILIDADE SOCIOAMBIENTAL EM COMUNIDADES AFETADAS PELA EXTRAÇÃO DE AREIA PESADA PELAS EMPRESAS MULTINACIONAIS EM INHASSUNGE, ZAMBÉZIA

Abstract

THE INVISIBLE FACE OF MINING: SOCIOENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY IN COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY HEAVY SAND EXTRACTION BY MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES IN INHASSUNGE, ZAMBÉZIA

ABSTRACT:
This article critically examines the impacts of mining activities carried out by multinational companies on communities residing in the district of Inhassunge, Zambézia Province, Mozambique. The research focuses on socioenvironmental vulnerability as the central analytical category to understand the multiple forms of exclusion, displacement, and socioeconomic disruption caused by large-scale mining operations. Based on a qualitative and exploratory approach, the study employed methods such as semi-structured interviews with residents, community leaders, and institutional representatives, as well as document analysis and direct observation. The findings reveal processes of territorial marginalization, environmental degradation, the rupture of cultural ties to the land, and weaknesses in socioenvironmental governance, marked by low community participation in decision-making processes, lack of effective compensation, and opacity in the corporate practices of mining companies. The research highlights the urgent need to revise the country's mining regulatory framework, incorporating principles of environmental justice, transparency, corporate social responsibility, and the valorization of local knowledge as structuring elements of a more equitable and sustainable development model.

Keywords: socioenvironmental vulnerability; heavy sand mining; environmental injustice; territorial governance; rural communities.