Desenvolvimento sustentável e garimpo: o caso do Garimpo do Engenho Podre em Mariana, Minas Gerais

based on sustainable development principles, this paper evaluates artisanal gold mining activity in engenho podre. this study followed the hypothesis that the implementation of environmental management according to a conduct adjustment agreement firmed by the cooperativa dos garimpeiros de mariana (coopergama), associated with operational performance improvement would permit continuation of this activity in a sustainable way from the environmental, socioeconomic and cultural point of view. although still illegal, from the technical point of view, the artisanal mining at engenho podre is adopting environmentally-accepted strategies to promote reasonable socioeconomic development. however, administrative issues and lack of investments still affect the sustainability of such practices in the long-term. this paper shows that when good administrative and environmental practices are adopted, it is possible to meet the sustainable development principles in an artisanal mining activity.