Mineral active regions (MARs), considered here as those with stocks of geological resources of intrinsic economic interest that can be used beyond the scope or need of the local people, have undergone decades of extraction with significant environmental and human health effects, socio-cultural impacts, and ecosystem and biodiversity consequences. Traditional resource governance and management approaches were reviewed and the potential for re-assessing these regions from a systems perspective was investigated. Through an extensive review, the application of systems thinking in resource management was demonstrated to have the potential to deliver benefits to all stakeholders while maintaining ecological integrity. Rather than simply relying on competition, a process that focuses on the interdependencies between the various players and sectors in these regions can deliver system improvements and should be further investigated because of its potential to deliver holistic solutions that could benefit all involved. Appraisal of systems methodologies was undertaken and their application to MAR challenges discussed, and a participatory approach was selected to form the basis of the proposed framework, a holistic tool to deal effectively with the complexity of MARs. Using a case study, the thesis addressed the data required to capture its complexity and catchment information, policy problems as well as relevant stakeholders were identified. A participatory group building process was conducted which was a learning process that resulted in the co-production of knowledge by identifying problem drivers in the region. Quantitative data on a decade of oil spill was analysed with graphical representation showing the causes of oil spill, quantity spilled and lost to the environment. The result of the data analysis supported the outcome of the participatory process which links the problem drivers with underlying socio-economic problems plaguing the region. The application of the participatory framework in the case study demonstrates the practicability of the tool and how it can be utilised to see the interactions and interdependences between actors and elements in the MAR system. Understanding the full consequences and benefits of such interactions was shown to be the way to avoid conflicts and encourage collaboration. The participatory systems framework developed here can facilitate the sustainable management of MARs based on its inclusive approach. It can serve as a tool to support policies that ensures that resource development is undertaken sustainably through a resource regime that is able to deliver benefits to all stakeholders involved.