Sustainable Mining Practices and Restoration of Marginal Lands

Mining operations have been crucial for economic development and technological progress throughout history. However, these activities often result in significant environmental degradation, including soil erosion, habitat destruction, and contamination of water resources. As the world grapples with climate change and biodiversity loss, there is an urgent need to address the environmental impacts of mining while ensuring continued access to essential resources. This Topic focuses on the intersection of resource extraction, environmental stewardship, and land rehabilitation in the context of global sustainability challenges.

The primary goal of this Research Topic is to explore and advance sustainable mining practices and effective restoration techniques for marginal lands. We aim to address the complex challenges associated with minimizing the ecological footprint of mining operations while promoting successful land rehabilitation. Recent advances in technology, ecology, and soil science have opened new avenues for sustainable mining and land restoration. This Topic seeks to highlight these innovations and promote their wider adoption. By bringing together diverse perspectives and cutting-edge research, we hope to contribute to the development of more environmentally responsible mining practices and successful strategies for transforming degraded landscapes into productive ecosystems.

This Research Topic welcomes contributions that explore various aspects of sustainable mining and land restoration. We encourage submissions from a wide range of disciplines, including soil science, environmental engineering, ecology, geochemistry, and social sciences. Specific themes of interest include:

-Novel technologies for minimizing environmental impacts of mining
-Soil remediation techniques for contaminated sites
-Ecosystem restoration strategies for post-mining landscapes
-Long-term monitoring and assessment of restoration outcomes
-Innovative approaches to transforming marginal lands
-Biodiversity conservation in rehabilitated mining areas

Authors are encouraged to submit work that presents novel findings, synthesizes existing knowledge, or provides critical insights into the challenges and opportunities in sustainable mining and land restoration.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Mining, Restoration, Phytoremediation, Soil, Pollution

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.