Work

Evolutionary governance and the patrimonialization of karst geodiversity in a territory under active mining and in a non-extractive reference case: contrasting institutional trajectories in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This article analyses the processes of geodiversity heritage-making in karst landscapes in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A qualitative, comparative approach based on Evolutionary Governance Theory (EGT) is used. The study compares two cases with different land-use and regulatory regimes: Lagoa Santa karst, with ongoing mining, urban pressures, and institutional fragmentation; and the Peruaçu Valley, a non-extractive area beyond active mining that has more stable heritage governance. Core EGT concepts such as trajectory creation, path dependence, bifurcation points (e.g., the 1990s mining moratorium in Peruaçu), and reality effects are used. These are combined with a typology of heritage narratives and six empirical dimensions from patrimonialization literature. The aim is to understand how norms, discourses, and materialities evolve together in geoheritage production. The results show that Peruaçu Valley has a more unified, multi-level trajectory. Its heritage-making relies on organised institutions, participatory methods, and a common narrative. In contrast, Lagoa Santa has overlapping rules, limited coordination between governance levels, and land-use disputes, with heritage largely symbolic. The comparison shows that karst heritage-making is a dynamic, political-territorial process shaped by unequal narrative systems and institutional strength. Heritage governance can offer a territorial alternative to mining and help create non-extractive futures. The study concludes that EGT is a helpful way to analyse geodiversity governance in contested karst areas. Still, it also has limits when institutional imbalance and ongoing land-use conflict are present.

Source: The Extractive Industries and Society

DOI: 10.1016/j.exis.2026.101906

Authors: Úrsula de Azevedo Ruchkys, Luiz Eduardo Panisset Travassos, Augusto Auler, Darcy José dos Santos, Mauro Gomes

Institutions: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade

Language: English

Topic: Geotourism and Geoheritage Conservation

Subfield: Geology

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,470