Mining tailings dumps and socio-territorial inequalities in Chile: an exploratory study

The aim of this study is to territorially link the distribution of mining tailings and multi-dimensional poverty at a local level. For this purpose, a database was constructed with governmental information regarding municipalities that present tailings, and subsequently, identified their levels of multidimensional poverty. The results show: (i) the presence of tailings throughout the national territory, although their greater concentration is found in the country's center-north; (ii) that the majority of tailings at the national level is located in socially and economically disadvantaged municipalities; and (iii) that only 4 municipalities concentrate 321 of the 757 tailings, which represent 42,4% of the national total. This information allows us to conclude that the task of surveying and remediating mining tailings is a national governance challenge and that in order to address it, the context and the social injustice it causes must be considered.