Classifying land use within 80,000 mining sites on a global scale

The green energy transition has intensified global demand for critical minerals, driving the expansion of mining activities with significant environmental consequences. In response, we present a globally consistent dataset of land use and land cover classification within mining areas, providing detailed information for over 80,000 recognised mining extents across 150 countries, spanning 95,644 km² and offering global-scale insights into the mining footprint. Developed through the integration of Sentinel-2 imagery and TanDEM-X elevation change data with a Random Forest classifier, this dual-source integration supports the differentiation of functionally different but spectrally similar land use types, such as open pits and waste dumps. This distinction is critical because different land uses pose varying environmental risks. By accurately identifying specific land use types, rather than treating all disturbed or adjacent areas as equally impacted, the dataset avoids overestimating mining-affected land. Ultimately, it provides a more accurate depiction of land use within mining areas and significantly improves the reliability of environmental impact assessments in the mining sector.