THE CHALLENGE OF ASSESSING THE SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION CAUSED BY MINING IN B&H – GIS AS A SOLUTION?

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has a long tradition of mining. Until modern times, mining became the backbone of the overall economy of the entire society. However, the spatiality of mining and the effects of the processes that accompany it are not known to the general public. The paper deals with the identification of spatial-temporal changes caused by mining on the example of a surface coal mine in the northeast of B&H. The process of ore exploitation in the first place requires space and usurps land, which represents the economic basis for the inhabitants of rural areas. Therefore, the authors focused on monitoring changes in land cover. The methodology of monitoring land cover changes is based on the use and processing of Corine Land Cover data using QGIS software. The change in the demographic size of settlements affected by mining activities was analyzed using official demographic statistics. The results of the study reveal the dynamics of mining activity, the spatial scale of exploitation over time, and changes in land use in the area of the case study. The research is useful for spatial planning after the exploitation of the ore, but also for the creation of various development policies for the population. This type of study opens up space for monitoring other changes that occurred during exploitation, both in the area of this and other surface mines.