The Post-Mining Landscape Restoration Workshop has been awarded the eku Prize. The United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), in partnership with the G20 Global Land Initiative and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (G20 GLI, UNCCD), hosted a practical workshop for 50 participants from 34 countries. Held in Dresden, Germany, from April 15 – 18, the Post-Mining Landscape Restoration Workshop consisted of two days of internal discussion and collaborative work, and two days of site visits to rehabilitated coal and uranium mines in Lusatia and the Ore Mountains. The workshop took a holistic approach to post-mining land development, with a diverse range of German and international experts sharing their experience in the field – spanning soil science, mining engineering, water management, and social science.
The workshop curriculum covered an extensive breadth of real-life case studies and mitigation efforts for the participants to learn from, including both open-cast and underground mines, revegetation for parks and forests, flooding for lakes, the stabilization of renewable energy production, and remediation to reduce risk.
In conjunction with time spent in the classroom, the site tours not only provided insight into virgin ecosystem restoration but also demonstrated approaches to maintaining the balance between ecosystem services and socioeconomic development.
