Mineral Raw Materials and the Environmental Sustainability of the Metropolis

Abstract

Written by an environmental engineer pursuing a master's degree in Regional Urban Studies, this article analyzes the provision of mining raw materials as a fundamental ecosystem service for the environmental sustainability of the Aburrá Valley. The author documents 20 legal mining operations identified in 2005 on the valley's western slope, presenting the case of Medellín's Altavista district as an example of tension between urban expansion and traditional extractive activity. The text argues in favor of keeping extraction sites close to urban centers to reduce transport costs and facilitate social oversight of their environmental impacts.