2015-Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit
SIPS 2015 Volume 11: Recycling & Environmental
| Editors: | Kongoli F, Havlik T, Pagnanelli F |
| Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
| Publication Year: | 2015 |
| Pages: | 410 pages |
| ISBN: | 978-1-987820-34-8 |
| ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
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Environmental Impact Assessment of Mining in Kosovo: Towards Better and Sustainable Environmental Management
Remzije Istrefi1; Mihone Kerolli-Mustafa2;1UNIVERSITY OF PRISHTINA, 10000, Kosovo; 2INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COLLEGE MITROVICA, Mitrovica, Kosovo;
Type of Paper: Regular
Id Paper: 331
Topic: 10
Abstract:
In Kosovo, the environmental impacts from mining results from both historical and ongoing mining operations. The main environmental problems associated with mining operations are soil and air pollution, changes in water quality, sedimentation, acid mine drainage, erosion, loss of biodiversity, high-volume of toxic waste and dust. The Kosovo legal framework that regulates the mining sectors environmental compliance requires all mining projects to go through an environmental impact assessment (EIA) process and to get environmental permits from the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning. The Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals also provides technical assistance to the government in all matters related to mines and minerals in Kosovo. The implementation of EIA system in Kosovo is to be seen as an important opportunity to create a stable process of assessing the environmental impacts and increase the environmental policy integration. However, due to the current economic development needs in Kosovo, the EIA system only superficially considers proposed mining projects and does not promote the sustainable development. The current economic development in Kosovo is focused on new planed mining activities that will increase the work of the active industry, while very little attention is given to the remediation options of the old existing facilities that present a continue environmental threat. A special concern is given to the improper supervision of the implementation of EIA as a key process in making the social and environmental accountability in mining projects. This paper presents the EIA process, related legislation, administrative decisions, as well as provides recommendations to improve the EIA system towards sustainable environmental management. It is suggested to take actions to better implement the existing EIA in order to improve the quality of Environmental Impact Statements and Management Action Plans of mining corporations and to increase the participatory process of the EIA among relevant governmental authorities, corporations/companies, nongovernmental organizations and communities.
Key words: Environmental Impact Assessment, Kosovo, sustainable management.