54 I 2 3 CATATAN GEOLOGI ( Geological Notes) Minerals Security in Construction - Issues and Challenges for Sustainable Development Joy Jacqueline Pereira 1, Zuhairi Abd Hamid 2 & Suhaili IsmaiP Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Executive Director, Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM), Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia (CIDB) Principal Assistant Director for Industrial Relations, Minerals and Geoscience Department of Malaysia I ABSTRACT:- Minerals security in its broad definition relates to the supply of minerals with respect to its availability and production, which are influenced by economic, social and environmental elements as well as political stability. A comprehensive master plan is required to ensure the security of supply for construction minerals in the context of the construction industry's agenda on Industrialised Building Systems and sustainable development. This is particularly pertinent in view of the current shortage in supply of sand and sterilisation of rock aggregate resources in Selangor. The Minerals Security Initiative has been initiated to address this matter. INTRODUCTION Minerals security traditionally relates to the supply of minerals with respect to its availability and production, which are intricately associated with economic elements and political stability. Much work has been done on the security of mineral supplies covering aspects such as the development of mineral security indices, security of access to markets, analyses of lifetime of reserves, impacts of strategic stockpile disposal programmes and total material flows, among others (Ray 1984; Anderson 1988; Wilburn and Goonan 1998; Harker and Lutz 1990; Calaway and van Rensburg 2002; Pereira 2000). During the Cold War, minerals security was of great concern to developed countries and strategic minerals were stockpiled to mitigate the threat of disruption to imported supplies. Government intervention in the minerals sector gradually ceased with the ending of the Cold War in the 1990s. The onset of market globalisation saw countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Japan embark on policies to reduce their stockpiles (Humphreys 1995). Minerals production is now considered a private sector activity and the market largely dictates matters related to minerals supply. Thus, the issue of minerals security is assumed to be of lesser importance. However, this assumption has been questioned by some quarters particularly as the service sector of post-industrial economies still require construction minerals for their infrastructure. This is especially true for construction minerals of bulk commodity, where importing is not an option because of transport costs (Humphreys 1995). Furthermore, the increasing importance given to sustainable development in international, regional and national agendas requires mineral policies that take into account social and environmental elements, in addition to supply and economic considerations. In this context, the definition of minerals security needs to be broadened from the narrow perspective of simple supply and economic security, to take into account social and environmental elements that affect Warta Geologi, Vo1.32, No 3, May-June 2006