How should the socio-territorial density of tailings facilities be governed? A proposal for Chilean mining policy

The global energy transition has intensified demand for critical minerals, accelerating mining activity and the proliferation of tailings facilities, particularly in the Global South. While international research has focused on technical and corporate governance dimensions, limited attention has been paid to national-scale public policy frameworks. This article examines Chile as an extreme mining intensity and tailings accumulation case, offering a GIS-based spatial analysis of 764 registered facilities. Using kernel density and spatial clustering techniques, we identify two main zones of infrastructural accumulation and five socio-territorial patterns: (i) low-density with minor influence, (ii) low-density far from watercourses, (iii) high-density with regional impact, (iv) high-density affecting urban settlements, and (v) critical high-density clusters. These patterns reveal socio-territorial inequalities and zones of environmental exposure. Based on this evidence, we critically assess Chile’s National Plan for Tailings Facilities and identify three key policy gaps: (i) a weak social dimension with limited community engagement, (ii) a lack of retrospective recognition of environmental injustices, and (iii) insufficient territorial integration and cumulative impact assessment. In response, we propose a Territorial Oriented Policies Approach for multiscale, context-sensitive governance beyond site-specific management. This study contributes to global discussions on mining waste by advancing a spatially grounded, policy-relevant framework from a Global South perspective.