Environmental Sustainability as a Key Practice in Minimizing the Impacts Caused by Salt Mining in La Guajira, Colombia

The following study aimed to analyze environmental sustainability as a key practice adopted by salt mining companies to minimize environmental impacts. To achieve this, the main impacts generated by salt mining and environmental processes were identified, and the strategic guidelines employed by many companies to achieve environmental sustainability were analyzed. Based on this reasoning, the present research was conducted within a studied population located in the municipality of Manaure, in the department of La Guajira, Colombia. A descriptive, explanatory, and non-experimental research approach was applied. The findings revealed that the biophysical capacity of the soil in this region is affected by high salt concentrations, which contribute to limiting the diversity and density of vegetation. Therefore, it is concluded that mining companies must improve environmental sustainability in salt mining to minimize the environmental impacts generated by their industrial operations and achieve greater efficiency to increase revenue. This would benefit the environmental, economic, and social aspects of the department.