Valuation languages in environmental conflicts: How stakeholders oppose or support gold mining at Mount Ida, Turkey

Abstract

This paper analyses an ongoing environmental conflict over the prospect of gold mining at Mount Ida, Turkey, and aims to unpack the valuation languages social actors in the conflict use to either support or oppose gold mining. Based on a field study consisting of 37 in-depth interviews, three focus groups, and a survey administered to a total of 738 citizens, the factors that affect local public's positions vis-à-vis gold mining at Mount Ida and their choice of valuation languages are examined. Assessing the conflict at Mount Ida in terms of valuation languages enables us to better comprehend the various dimensions of the conflict and differentiate between the disagreements that can be controlled and solved via technical measures or bargaining over the amount of monetary compensation and those that cannot. We also intend to provide a useful and general methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative research methods for understanding a broad range of environmental conflicts. The results are in line with earlier findings in that local people oppose such projects for various distinct reasons and monetary and/or technical compensatory schemes do not suffice to solve the disagreements that arise in a satisfactory way.