Mine Water and Remediation Management for Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

Since the industrial revolution, the human population has grown beyond the natural carrying capacity of the Earth, and it can only be sustained by the continuous advancement in technology. All of the material resources required in technology come from the Earth, and are obtained by only two means, namely: planting or mining—“if we can’t farm it, we have to mine it.” Thus, mining will be there, as long as we need resources to sustain our technological advancement. Water in general, and mine water in particular, is integral to virtually all mining activities. Consequently, one of the legacies of resource mining is mine water, which, in most cases, poses the risk of acid mine drainage and other pollutions. In an effort to restore former mining sites, mine water remediation has become a major activities. Until recently, the burden of mine water remediation has been borne by the public, who never profited from the spoils, because, in most cases, responsible mining companies never exist long after the termination of mining operations. As a result, places that are already suffering from the social-economic effect of mine closures (e.g., job losses, dying population, environmental epidemiology, etc.) get caught in a cycle of unsustainable development. Furthermore, most of the remediation strategies have a short-life span, and are sometimes viewed as just a suspension of the problem, which is both economically and environmentally unstainable. Adding complexity to the whole scenario is the climate change. The question that rises is as follows: “How can mine water remediation be done and managed, so that it becomes a new source of social–economic sustainability from former mining towns/cities in the current context of climate change? In view of this, the current Special Issue will explore, from different perspectives, how mine water remediation can be planned, implemented, and managed, so that it contributes to the sustainable development of former mining sites and communities. Specifically, it intends to explore how interdisciplinary approach, combing socio-political, economic aspects with technical science and engineering, would help to have mine water remediation management in order to contribute to sustainable development

The Special Issue on Mine Water and Remediation Management for Sustainability Development intends to show-case interdisciplinary review and original research papers focusing on the technical analysis and efforts of turning mine water into a commercially viable resources as a new mine water management strategy. We will be collecting reviews or original works outlining development in smart or intelligent mine water remediation and management strategies, discussing key mine water areas in a policy perspective, technologies satisfying environmental protection on the one hand, while on the other, turning mine water into a commercially valuable and viable material. Thus, the scope of this Special Issue will, among other, address the following:

• Policy areas/issues that can help attract a new paradigm of viewing mine water as a resource and not a waste management;
• Drivers and barriers in contemporary mine water treatment and management strategies that warrant for a new paradigm;
• Potential resources and green-mining methods for recovery from mine water;
• Mine water re-mining or minerals processing operation can realize their full potential in contributing to former mining site’s economic and social well‐being; and,
• Elements of cleaner production, technology modification, and the on‐site recycling of mine-water treatment wastes, as well as stakeholder engagement.

Papers selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a rigorous peer-review process, while aiming for the fast dissemination of research findings, developments, and applications.

Prof. Dr. habil. Martin Mkandawire
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• acid mine drainage
• resource re-mining
• green mining
• sustainable site remediation
• cleantech, smart technologies