Looking at innovative ways to utilise mining land post closure
Planning for mine closure with the ‘end-use’ of the land in mind, the mining industry in South Africa has the opportunity to realise innovative sustainable land uses and create functioning ecosystems post mine closure. This is according to GCI PhD student Ntombifuthi Monedi-Noko.
"Mining as a temporary land use often leaves behind a negative legacy particularly to the mining host communities, whom are left behind with no alternative use of the land and any economic prospects. Therefore, by planning for mine closure with the ‘end-use’ of the land in mind, the mining industry in South Africa has the opportunity to realise innovative sustainable land uses and create functioning ecosystems post mine closure." This is according to GCI PhD student Ntombifuthi Monedi-Noko.
The impacts of mining on the environment and communities have been documented extensively. It has been reported that communities are often left with polluted air, water and soil. Land degradation has led to communities not being able to utilise the land for alternative purposes. There have been reports of health issues such as respiratory illnesses etc. affecting mining communities. Mine closures have also resulted in significant job losses and there have been reports of once thriving towns becoming “ghost towns”, which has led to opportunistic crime.
In recent years the impacts of mining and mine closure has taken centre stage in the sense that government is paying closer attention, which has resulted in legislature requirements for mining rights holders to set aside a financial portion for rehabilitation obligations. These obligations has resulted in opportunities for mining closures to positively develop and empower communities by branching out into different sectors i.e. farming, water projects, manufacturing etc.
GCI PhD student, Ntombifuthi Monedi-Noko, chats to us about her research which focuses on transforming mining landscapes.
Ntombifuthi’s research focuses on transitioning mined land into sustainable innovative land-use post-closure, by considering progressive rehabilitation, mine closure policy/legislature and climate change.
Ntombifuthi’s is taking an interdisciplinary research approach i.e. involves more than one field of study. “Since my research is inter-disciplinary, the challenge is to afford all disciplines (i.e. law, climate change) enough weight to contribute meaningfully and significantly to the desired outcomes of the research including that of the sustainable land use post-mine closure and self-reliant, resilient host mining communities,” says Ntombifuthi.
“I am hoping that my research will have a meaningful impact on how we are able to transform mining landscapes in a practical manner that speaks to the needs of communities, legislation, environment and mining companies,” adds Ntombifuthi.
She concludes, “While my research is not yet completed, I have high hopes that my research will have the following desired outcomes:
1. For policymakers to consider the inclusion of climate change impacts in baseline studies.
2. For policymakers to strategically think of how the mine closure financial provisions can be leveraged to encourage sustainable closure, issuing of closure certificates that ultimately transition mined land to sustainable land use.
3. For the mining companies in South Africa to plan for innovative sustainable land uses that will be of socio-economic value to the host mining communities.
4. For the mining companies to utilise the invested infrastructure as a lever to transition a mining economic sector to another economic sector, and eliminate the ‘ghost town’ phenomenon that is often associated with mine closures.”