Sustainability of Informal Artisanal Mining in the Peruvian Andean Region

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

1. What is the main question addressed by the research? This paper examines the social license to operate (SLO) issues that are starting up in Peru. These have been very prominent in other areas of the world. To my knowledge this si the first time it is being examined like this in Peru.
2. Do you consider the topic original or relevant in the field? Does it address a specific gap in the field? There are issues in Peru that are not elsewhere. For example, farming is done in an area with very poor soil on steep mountain slopes. So, a relatively small environmental impact somewhere else would have a major impact here. Due to the steep terrain, the issues people face are different. So yes this does address a gap.
3. What does it add to the subject area compared with other published material? This is a well rounded paper that connects agriculture, to economic drives associated with artisanal mining. It provides a good case study that can be used in parallel with others.
4. What specific improvements should the authors consider regarding the methodology? What further controls should be considered? You could get the authors to add some numbers to some of these statements. Along the lines of how many artisanal operations are happening. What metals are they chasing? What values of acid mine drainage are being seen?
5. Are the conclusions consistent with the evidence and arguments presented and do they address the main question posed? Yes. The conclusions are in line with my own experience in seeing such issues start out like this.
6. Are the references appropriate? I did not see any problematic refences.
7. Please include any additional comments on the tables and figures. The figures are OK. They could be higher resolution if possible.

An important issue brought to light.  This is a problem elsewhere.  Solutions are possible.  This paper helps with understanding what the issues are.  The authors are to be commended. 

Author Response

Saludos, gracias.

hemos mejorado la redacción, agregado los tipos de minerlae que extraen, sones las operaciones artesanales, no podemos informar con precisión por hermetismo. Las estadísticas está, en la revisión, y existe muy poco sobre lo informal.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

A very interesting issue dealing with an important problem of the so called atrisanal mining. The problem affects many countries not only in Andean region but also in Africaa and Asia.

But the text have to be improved.

1. The way of information is presented seems to be a bit chaotic: in one sequence  information about various places, situations as well as analysis. 

2. I suggest presenting some quantitative data in tables.

3. More information about tne minerals would be used. Is the problem only with the gold mining?

4. It seems to me that the source about the threats due described mining is not fully reliable: both due to the social acceptance of this mining and the lack of systematic, specialized research on threats to the natural environment. 

So can the described mining be considered really sustainable? It would be good to provide a better justification for this thesis in the text and perhaps some polemiccal comment.

5. English needs to be improved. Sentences are generally too long and citations are not precize, but I'm not able to give a specific advice.

 

Author Response

Saludois cordiales.

Bien, hemos mejorado la redacción, bscando contextualizar, porque estaba suelto el término minería artesanal, hemos vuelto a leer los antecedentes y hemos mejorado la redacción, para evitar lo caótico, hemos consignado en la introducción algunos párrafos de presentación y de lo que tratamos, hemos especificado la problemática indicando los tipos de porductos extraidos bajo este sistema, que abarca al oro, cobre y hierro, respecto a la amenaza, indicar que la licencia social y soporte social y cultural es determinante para proseguir la actividad de explotación, se mejoró el inglés (si desea enviamos el nuevo archivo revisado); además existe fuerte hermetismo por la condición de informalidad, hemos vuelto salir a campo para entrevistar y hemos confirmado varias causas y consecuencias.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

In this paper, the sustainability of artisanal and informal mining in the Peruvian Andean Region was discussed. Crime prevention statistics on socio-environmental conflict from the National Prosecutor's Office and the Ombudsman Office, television programs on mining, intervention reports against artisanal and informal miners, were presented. It is an interesting content, but arranged structure needs to be further improved. Therefore, it needs revision before it is published in this journal. Some issues should be carefully addressed. Please check the attachment.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

 Moderate editing of English language is required.

Author Response

Saludos cordiales.

Respetamos la recomendación y reescribimos el resumen, puede revisar; sin embargo, no hemos podido ingresarle sobre la innovación.

Ingresamos al final de la introducción la necesidad de innovación, justificando, 

Revisamos los antecedentes, hemos desagregado algunos por ser extensos, y están resumidos,

Respecto a los resultados de recuperación de minerales, bueno ello está ligado a la gran minería por la inversión; sin embargo, la pequeña minería artesanal con maquinas adaptadas es una alternativa de mejora de ingreso a mediano plazo para familias comunales, la extracción en en bruto o roca, que luego se transporta a la costa (nasca) para ser lavada y transformada; (no existe transformación en la zona andina del mineral extraido) en los resultados y revisión de litaratura, se compara y se identifica la realidad de la minería artesanal e informal; 

Las conclusiones fueron mejoradas, respetando la recomendación, 

Hemos vuelto salir a campo para volver a entrevistar y precisar las causas y consecuencias descritas, que las reafirmamos.

Se mejoró el inglés, volvió a traducir (si desea enviamos el archivo borrador, nueva traducción)

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments for author File: Comments.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The manuscript's quality has been substantially improved. I recommend its acceptance for publication in its present form.

Moderate editing of English language is required.