Integrating the sustainable development goals into post-mining land use selection.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Resource Management
• Sustainable Development

Background:

• Mine closure plans commit to post-mining land uses (PMLUs) decades in advance.
• Existing PMLUs may be suboptimal for future global challenges like climate change and resource security.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a conceptual framework for selecting PMLUs using multiple planning lenses.
• To demonstrate how post-mining landscapes can address global challenges through effective mine closure transitions.

Main Methods:

• Consideration of three planning lenses: safety/stability, suitability/practicability, and integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus.
• Utilizing SDGs as a lens for selecting PMLUs aligned with water, energy, food, livelihood security, and climate change mitigation.

Main Results:

• A conceptual framework is presented for selecting PMLUs.
• The framework demonstrates alignment of PMLUs with global challenges and the WEF nexus.

Conclusions:

• Effective mine closure transitions require PMLU selection that integrates SDGs and the WEF nexus.
• Policy recommendations and regulatory considerations are provided for optimizing post-mining land use.