Challenges to access and safeguard mineral resources for society: A case study of kaolin in Portugal

摘要: Abstract Present and future demands of minerals require enlightened land use policies practices that consider geological resources as a whole, anticipating potential conflicts proposing/monitoring solutions to ensure the access mineral their responsible use. The multi-criteria methodology able balance knowledge (grounding identification resources) with economic, environmental social dimensions implicated in current or foreseen exploitation may provide way needed conciliate foremost goals any mining planning land-use exercises. safeguarding kaolin was selected case study because: (i) these are confronted different types other uses; (ii) transformation increasingly important regional national economy, generating well numerous jobs all over added value chain attracting foreign investment; (iii) historical liabilities related old exploitations still grounds strong apprehensions by public general. In this study, Portuguese were represented 136 specific tracts, 110 being classified “public importance” after considering criteria supporting dimension. Preceded structured point densification scheme, an interpolation process performed, within kriging formalism. resulting map delimited total area ≈342 km2 (0.4% Portugal mainland) whose intrinsic should support decision on mainland. 29 active productive mines further based distributed three levels priority for safeguarding, proposed methodology. results achieved underestimated mostly due several limitations available databases. Nevertheless, remains powerful tool be applied two distinct coexisting ways: (1) access, ensuring supply forthcoming generations avoiding sterilisation tracts importance”; (2) short-medium term assigning areas activities, regularly supplying industry markets. This has been successfully (e.g. Mateus et al., 2017), but additional efforts must made extend assessment raw materials.