Algae and mining: A new frontier in sustainable site rehabilitation

Algae might seem an unlikely candidate to help transform Australia’s post-mining landscapes, but a new CSIRO -led project suggests these tiny aquatic organisms could provide sustainable futures for mine sites, surrounding ecosystems, and local communities. Looking down the microscope at the microalgae Nannochloropsis Australia’s mining sector is approaching a crossroads—where economic legacy and environmental responsibility must find common ground. A new CSIRO -led study, supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), suggests that one of the most promising bridges between these imperatives may come from an unexpected source: algae. Though small in stature, algae are emerging as giants in their potential to transform post-mining landscapes. The study, developed in partnership with the University of Queensland and Murdoch University , proposes that algae-based technologies could reduce mining’s environmental footprint while seeding new...

Philippines mining urged to use geohazard maps

A Philippines anti-mining network is urging the the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to use geohazard maps to review mining tenements and abandoned mines to prevent mining disaster.

The Alyansa Tigil Mina, an advocacy group and people’s movement composed of more than 80 organizations from mining-affected communities and civil society organizations nationwide, said the DENR's P60 million geohazard mapping study of the Philippines had identified landslide and flood prone areas in the country.

“This data should be maximized to strategically mitigate mining disasters—if effectively integrated in land use planning, land development, disaster-risk reduction and climate change adaptation” said Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator, as quoted by The Inquirer.

“The top landslide prone and flood prone provinces such as Benguet, Mt. Province, Kalinga Apayao, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, etc identified by DENR are the same provinces which host big mine operations in the country,” said Garganera. “These geohazard areas impacted both by bad weather and mining put communities at high-risk to catastrophe.”