Environmental rehabilitation and repurposing toolkit

Mining regions have always undergone a cycle of prospection, operation and eventual closure, whether because resources are depleted, or because further mining becomes uneconomic. When mines close, they can leave behind a legacy of environmental degradation alongside many other challenges. Locations formerly used for mining and related industrial activities require environmental rehabilitation, and the repurposing of land and infrastructure may be necessary to make them available for future use. Environmental rehabilitation and repurposing of former mining assets is an important challenge for coal regions in transition. Although plenty of experience of mine closure management exists, this knowledge can be fragmented and often resides in regions that have already undergone a transition away from mining. This toolkit shares knowledge and experiences that may be valuable to those regions that are now taking on transition; and to provide guidance on environmental rehabilitation and repurposing with an emphasis on governance processes.