Abstract:
Mineral assets constitute the foundation of the standard consumption and life quality in today’s society. Brazil, with 8,5 million km2, is a recognized geoscience vocational country, being one of the major mineral assets global producer, particularly for niobium, iron ore, bauxite and manganese.
As the result of collaborative effort of a large number of specialists and based on technical meetings, thematic workshops and coordinating studies, the brazilian Ministry of Mining and Energy – MME, have developed four minerals plans from 1965 to 2011:
. First “Ten-Year Master Plan for Evaluation of Mineral Resources”, (1965-1974)
. Second “Ten-Year Mining Plan”, (1981-1990)
. “Multi-Year Plan for Development of the Mineral Industry”, (1994)
. The actual “2030 National Mining Plan”, (2011)
In Brazil, the mineral sector, encompassing the geological, mining and mineral transformation (metallurgy) stages, represents around 4.2% of the GDP, 20% of total exports and 8% of all industrial jobs. However, the per capita consumption of mineral-based products is still low, placed within 15 to 30% of those countries with higher levels of development. Highlighting the adding value and distribution of benefits in all stages of the mineral productive chains, a future scenario, named “On the Path to Sustainability”, will be presented. Consistent in its vision ahead, the following three guidelines will be thus developed:
. Effective public governance, to promote “nationally extracted mineral for national interests”;
. Added value & consolidated knowledge, in all steps of mineral productive chain;
. Sustainability, in all stages of the mineral industry
These reference tools, aiming to plan the Brazilian mineral industry based in an integrated manner for the next 15 years, i.e, using the environmental and industrial policies, has essentially the final goal to promote the sustainable development of the country.
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