Transforming mining-affected lands through eco-friendly reclamation strategies

Abstract

Mining operations have played an important role in promoting economic development historically, but they commonly have a significant negative impact on the surrounding environment that levels of degradation caused by the release of heavy metals. To better advance sustainable development in post-mining landscapes, particularly in terms of rebuilding and restoring environmental harm, a viable reclamation approach is to support long-term ecological recovery and socio-economic recovery. This study investigates the viable sustainable mining technologies as a reclamation approach. The fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was utilized to prioritize decision criteria and sub-criteria and the fuzzy Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) approach was used to rank remediation strategies. The fuzzy AHP analysis identified environmental sustainability as the most critical factor, emphasizing the need for reclamation practices that positively impact the environment. This was followed by economic viability, highlighting the importance of cost-effective implementation, and technological feasibility, which underlines the value of employing advanced technological solutions. Moreover, the fuzzy WASPAS analysis identified advanced soil remediation techniques, eco-friendly tailings management and waste repurposing, and sustainable water treatment and acid mine drainage as the most effective approaches. These findings emphasize the importance of cost-effective and ecologically sound interventions that advance sustainable development objectives in mining-impacted landscapes.