Community Perceptions of Mining Impacts—Acceptance and Opposition Across Artisanal/Small-Scale and Large-Scale Mining: A Systematic Review

Local communities’ perceptions influence whether mining projects are accepted or contested, but the evidence is dispersed across artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and large-scale mining (LSM). This systematic review synthesised how communities perceive the impacts of both scales, how they position themselves towards mining, and which factors studies associate with their stance. Following PRISMA 2020, 328 studies from 63 countries and territories were included (LSM, 208; ASM, 91; both scales, 28; not reported, 1). Communities perceived environmental impacts as harmful in 142 of the 160 studies that reported them, whereas social impacts were perceived as harmful, beneficial or both. Among the 165 studies that assessed a stance, opposition predominated in 69, divided positions in 53 and acceptance, often conditional, in 43; opposition was concentrated in LSM, whereas ASM studies more often described acceptance or divided positions. Unfair procedures, threats to land and identity, and unfair distribution of benefits were associated with opposition, and local economic benefits with acceptance. Methodological reporting was often incomplete. A sensitivity analysis showed that the search missed many eligible studies, mostly on LSM, so the findings describe a large sample of the literature rather than all of it.