The hydrological hazard in artificially-drained mining and post-mining areas–A significant environmental aspect requiring systemic management

Abstract

This paper describes a case study of a highly urbanized artificially-drained mine subsidence area massively impacted by mining. Within this area, the surface has subsided over 40 m and the area threatened by flooding is 18 times larger than the observable inundation today. This surface relief disturbance and hydrological hazard is shown using the author's innovative concepts in the form of relative elevation models and four hydrological hazard frameworks. This paper contains analyses supporting the main thesis that in highly transformed and artificially-drained mining and post-mining areas, the hydrological hazard should be classified as a significant environmental aspect requiring systemic management. It outlines in detail the above premise by describing the inter-related mining and non-mining processes causing changes to the hydrological hazard leading to the subsequent complexity of mitigation measures. The introduction of relative elevation models and newly-defined hydrological hazard frameworks are projected onto a site-specific hydromorphologic map. This map forms the hydrological basis for identifying and dimensioning existing flood-related geohazards. The innovative contribution is the ability to incorporate time-related data to assess past and future hydrological hazards. This knowledge makes it possible to simplify flood-related geohazard mitigation. Additionally, it affords policy-makers a range of options regarding future spatial planning to optimize land-use according to societal will. To date, environmental management systems do not sufficiently take into account the mining-induced hydrological hazard in mine subsidence areas. The main goal of this paper is to show that the existing gap in management capability of the hydrological hazard and flood-related geohazards and risks can be resolved by the author's novel site-specific decision support tools.