Computer-Aided Planning for Land Development of Post-Mining Degraded Areas

Abstract

This paper concerns the revitalization of post-mining heaps using a developed software tool. Revitalizing degraded areas is crucial for sustainable development because heaps pose numerous hazards to people and the environment, and there are significant numbers of waste heaps across Europe. The applied approach enables us to consider essential factors when deciding on the heap revitalization strategy. This includes heap properties, assumed land use, and various risks to people and environment, financial, and intangible factors. The methodology addresses various revitalization aims, ranging from heap liquidation to different forms of nature restoration and industrial or energy applications. A computer-aided tool was developed based on this approach, allowing the specification of the revitalized heap and proposed revitalization alternatives. It assesses risk reduction, costs/benefits, and non-financial factors such as social, environmental, technological, and political aspects for each alternative. This provides decision-makers with input to manually select the target alternative for implementation. The revitalization planning process is supported comprehensively, and there are additional cost-, quality-, and time-related advantages due to computer aid. The authors suggest future tool enhancements, especially to extend the range of applications and better formalize the decision process.