Determinants of Social Sustainability in Titanium Mining Communities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Social sustainability in mining has received less attention in scholarly work than environmental aspects, which have been extensively studied. This paper aims to fill this gap by analysing the roles of grievance management, community engagement, access to information and community development agreements in ensuring social sustainability among mining communities. Using the case of communities living near Base Titanium mining in Kwale County, Kenya, the research employed an embedded mixed‐methods design, collecting both qualitative and quantitative data simultaneously. The qualitative method involved collecting data through focus group discussions, key informant interviews and a literature review, while the quantitative method used structured household questionnaires. The study's findings reveal that grievance management, community development agreement, information disclosure and community engagement empower the community to hold the company accountable and participate in the decision‐making process. The use of local knowledge and the adoption of traditional grievance management mechanisms enable the community to be an integral part of the project. Nevertheless, a lack of transparency and poor information flow bring about mistrust and anxiety. The legalisation and institutionalisation of community development agreements is key to ensuring that communities benefit from the proceeds of mining. By being involved in the identification, prioritisation and implementation of their own social development programmes through community development agreements, the communities are assured of social sustainability.