Lessons for community-based management approaches to mine water pollution problems: a comparative study of four cases in northeast England.

This paper examines the role of community-based management (CBM) in dealing with the problem of mine water pollution (MWP) in four ex-pit sites in northeast England. The outcomes of CBM can be divided into two categories: ecological (environmental improvement) and social (community improvement). The ecological outcomes range from problem recognition to investigation and remediation; the social outcomes range from community awareness to participation and enhanced cooperation. Both kinds of outcome were completely achieved in only one site (Quaking Houses). In the other three sites, varying degrees of success were achieved in each category. The main lessons learned are two-fold: first, even if CBM does not achieve its ecological aims, it may nonetheless be valuable in achieving social outcomes; second, its chances of achieving either ecological or social outcomes are linked to the resources (human, technical, financial, experiential, structural, legitimacy and network) that the community possesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]