Evaluation and future framework of green mine construction in China based on the DPSIR model

Abstract

Abstract The idea of green mining was proposed as a practical approach to make the mining industry more sustainable than before. Green mining is a contemporary mining model centered on the sustainability of resources, environment, and socio-economic benefits. Its purpose is to develop and apply technologies and processes that increase environmental performance while maintaining competitiveness throughout the entire mining cycle from exploration to post-closure. Although the green mining strategy has achieved considerable significance, there is still a considerable gap between its research and practice. This study evaluates the situation of green mine construction in China and suggests a future framework. First, based on the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response model, an evaluation index system composed of 20 indicators was established. The principal component analysis was used to analyze the data collected from mines situated in Yongcheng, China. The results show that the construction of green mines has improved significantly over the years. Energy consumption and pollutant emissions were minimized, the protection of the ecological environment was realized, and secondary processing of mining waste was practiced. However, there are still some unresolved problems, such as the utilization of solid waste, the recovery ratio from ore processing, and the reuse ratio of coal washing water. Thus, the strategic framework has been proposed for improving green mine construction and the sustainability of the mining industry.

Keywords

• Green mining
• Ecological mining
• Green mine construction
• Sustainable mining
• Mine evaluation
• Sustainability