MSc. (Geography) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / During the last five years, successful mine closure has become one of Iscor Coal Business primary strategic focus areas. Three Iscor Coalmines are currently in different stages of closure, i.e. North Field, Hlobane and Dumacol and the demand on management time spent on this issue is increasing. The changing legal environment, especially issues concerning rehabilitation and mine closure, demands that every company must take full responsibility for any detrimental effect that their operations may have on the environment. This study concerns itself with establishing a generic procedure for mine closure. The interface with all stakeholders, external and internal, is considered. The primary focus areas are determined and the most important issues within each area are discussed in such a way that operational managers and strategists could use it as base knowledge for future closures. Applying the model to an actual closure process, i.e. the closure of Durnacol Coalmine, tested the validity of the model and it was verified that the process could be used as a base for future reference.

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017. / The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the poverty alleviation strategies post mine closure in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. The study also focuses on the legislative framework of mine closure in South Africa, to guide the mining operations, downsizing and retrenchment processes. The study is qualitative in design, and semi-structured interviews were used for the mining officials, municipal officials as well as the retrenched employees. The literature review looks at how other countries of the world are effectively making use of the available resources in combating poverty in their respective countries, including African countries. It is evident that natural resources are the most important international commodity and thus play a major role in the socio-economic development. The study critically analysed how effective are the strategies to alleviate poverty currently implemented in the research community. This analysis includes the impact faced by mining communities post mine closure, owing to the depletion of Copper and phosphates ores which are the most mined natural resources in the area. The findings of this study reveal that mining companies are profit-making entities, and their survival depends on both their production and favourable market forces. Some of the key findings are that poverty alleviation projects are there but the administration of those projects is poor, and thus do not address their primary goal; and the partnership between the municipality and mining companies is not mutual. Recommendations made in this study are that there should be proper approach towards the implementation of those strategies; reinforce future plans of mining companies during downscaling and a complete closure; and also ensure that a municipality provides support to viable Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) that are linked to tourism sector to unlock socio-economic activities within the community.

Informal mining requires particular attention in the fight against poverty. In sub-Saharan Africa, the world's poorest region, more than ten millions of people have depended on it for livelihoods. The aim of this study was to investigate the causes and impacts of the suspension of informal mining in the eastern DRC, between 2010 and 2011, on rural livelihoods in Twangiza. The study being a qualitative case study, both primary and secondary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a total of 21 respondents and analyzed using thematic methods. This study has found that geopolitical influences upon the DRC government‟s concerns over fraud, corruption, loss of state revenues and the perpetuation of conflicts associated with informal mining activities were the main causes of its suspension in the eastern DRC. In Twangiza however, although informal mining was still practiced until 2010 when it was suspended across the eastern DRC, it had already been illegalized since 2003, following the introduction of BANRO - a Canadian based multinational company – to mine in the area. This happened shortly after DRC‟s adoption of a predominantly neo-liberal driven Mining Code in 2001. This study has also found that the suspension of informal mining worsened the already venerable rural livelihoods in Twangiza as it resulted in increased unemployment, loss of income and food as well school dropouts by both pupils and teachers. To cope with these impacts many people decided to liquidate their assets, including livestock and land. While some of them managed to reemploy themselves by reinvesting in small businesses or migrating outside the community to search jobs, the most vulnerable had no option but to stay at home, resort to theft or prostitution. This study, therefore stresses the livelihood importance of informal mining in Twangiza, which is consistent with previous studies on informal mining and livelihoods among poor communities in developing countries, especially in Africa. It also questions the consistency of DRC‟s mining policy and provides some constructive recommendations on how mining should be used to promote sustainable development in the eastern DRC. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Orientador: Hildebrando Herrmann / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociencias / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T03:45:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Flores_JoseCruzdoCarmo_D.pdf: 3690114 bytes, checksum: 115eb3898eda96859bdbb86ae31dfa21 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: o fechamento de mina insere-se como uma nova fase na vida do projeto de mineração. Seus principais objetivos são garantir que a saúde e a segurança públicas não serão comprometidas no futuro; que os recursos ambientais não serão expostos a posterior deterioração biológica, física e ou química; que o uso pós-mineração da propriedade será benéfico à comunidade e sustentável no longo prazo; e que quaisquer impactos socioeconômicos adversos serão mitigados. Os conceitos e procedimentos relativos ao fechamento de mina vêm se expandindo rapidamente, em termos de escopo e responsabilidade dos principais grupos interessados, dentre eles governo, empresas, comunidades impactadas e organizações não-governamentais (ONGs), instituições financeiras de crédito e outros componentes da sociedade civil. O Direito - como ciência social que o é - vem explicitando a consciência e a preocupação da sociedade com o adequado e seguro fechamento das minas, e internalizando as melhores práticas par.a se atingir seus objetivos. Esta tese dedica-se ao estudo e análise da arte do fechamento de mina sob os seus diversos aspectos. Ressalta-se a importância econômica e social da mineração, através da análise dos aspectos positivos e negativos desta atividade humana. Introduz-se o fechamento de mina como uma nova fase do projeto de mineração. Apresentam-se os conceitos de alguns termos usualmente encontrados nos trabalhos relativos ao tema fechamento de mina. Apontam-se as principais causas que conduzem ao fechamento, os tipos de fechamento que podem ocorrer e as etapas que integram o processo. Analisam-se os principais impactos ambientais, econômicos e sociais advindos do fechamento. Abordam-se os aspectos técnicos, jurídicos e socioambientais inerentes ao fechamento de mina na legislação de alguns países selecionados. Sintetiza-se a regulamentação do tema na legislação brasileira. Expõem-se os programas de fechamento de algumas minas brasileiras, de pequeno, médio e grande porte. Ao final, recomendam-se algumas questões inerentes ao evento, como sugestões para futuros estudos e pesquisas, e apresenta-se, como apêndice, a proposta de um conjunto de diretrizes, como contribuição ao estudo do tema e à progressiva regulamentação desta fase do projeto de mineração no Brasil / Abstract: Mine closure is a new stage in the life of a mining project. Its main objectives are guarantee that the future public hea1th and safety are not compromised; environmental resources are not subject to further physical and chemical deterioration; the post-mining use of a site is beneficial and sustainable in the long-tenn; and any adverse socio-economic impacts are minimized. The concepts and principIes surrounding mine closure are rapidly evolving in tenns of the supposed scope and responsibility of the major interested groups, among them government, industry, impacted communities and other stakeholders such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), financial institutions and other components of civil society. The Law - as a social science - has highlighted the society conscious and preoccupation with the proper and safe mine closure and intemalized the best practices to achieve its purposes. This thesis focuses in the study and analysis of the evolution of mine closure art - under its several aspects. Highlight the economic and social importance of mining, through the analysis of positive and negative aspects of this human activity. Mine closure is introduced as new stage of the mining project. It is presented the concepts of some tenns usually employed in studies related to mine closure. Emphasize the main causes that can direct to closure, the types of closure that can occur and the steps part of this processo The main environmental, economic and social impacts from the mine closure process are analysed. Deal with technical, legal, social and environmental aspects in the law of some selected countries. Synthesize mine closure regulation in the Brazilian Law. Approach the programmes in course for closure of some small, medium and large size Brazilian mines. At the end recommends some points inherent to mine closure as suggestions to future researches and presents, as an appendix, a proposal of guidelines as a contribution to the study and the progressive regulation on mine closure in Brazil / Doutorado / Administração e Politica de Recursos Minerais / Doutor em Ciências

M.Sc. / Coal mining is a mature industry and plays a vital part in the economy and development of South Africa. Coal mining however is a temporary use of land. Historically, when an ore body was exhausted, production ceased and mines were boarded up and abandoned. Today mine closure requires the return of land to a viable and sustainable post-mining land use but a number of challenges are associated with mine reclamation. One of the greatest challenges is the inability of mines in South Africa to return mined land to its pre-mining state or land capability. The minimization of loss of land use capability and equally soil resource is a key part in achieving success in mine reclamation. This study verifies and assesses the replaced soil depth and actual post-mining land capability at a surface coal mine in Mpumalanga province, according to the Chamber of Mines “Guidelines for the rehabilitation of mined land” (2007). Five of the seven reclaimed sites within the study area exceeded the planned land capability proportions determined during the pre-mining stage. A top soil balance done at the end of January 2010 however indicates that the available volume of soil resource at the mine will not suffice the amount needed to achieve the planned land capability in areas not yet reclaimed. It is suggested that the lack of an adequate soil monitoring and management strategy in the past, has led to the shortfall of the available soil resource at the mine. The soil monitoring and reconciliation strategy developed will hopefully assist mine managers and rehabilitation planners to prevent further soil loss at the mine.

The history of the mining industry indicates a lack of understanding among the decision-makers of the impact the closure of mines has on the industry and the associated effects on the society and surrounding environment. The policies of the mining industry do make provision for a planned mine closure, but not for an unexpected closure. This detrimental aspect of closures in the mining industry is highlighted in the present study. The present study investigates how mineworkers’ dependency on their employment at a mine affects their ability to sustain their livelihoods. Vulnerable livelihoods leave the community at a greater risk to be affected by a disaster, than the livelihoods of a community that is resilient and has sustainable resources. Even though mineworkers are not considered as poor at the time of their employment, a mine closure could render them into a status called ‘transitional poverty’. This study also highlights that mineworkers who are skilled for mining operations only do not overcome the status of ‘transitional poverty’ and hence enter a phase called ‘chronic poverty’. This stage constitutes their inability to negotiate livelihood strategies and livelihood outcomes that could sustain a household. Thus humanitarian assistance would be needed from outside sources. Planning for unexpected mine closures should also be on the agenda of the mining industry due to the extreme consequences such an event holds for the mining community experiencing the event. In the case under investigation, the unexpected mine closures occurred in the Grootvlei mine in Springs and the Orkney mine owned by the Aurora Empowerment Systems Ltd. at the time of this study. These closures left the surrounding communities in need of food, shelter and clean water. The inhabitants gradually lost their livelihood assets. A contingency planning model is proposed at the end of this study to address the short-term and long-term consequences of an unexpected mine closure. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The history of the mining industry indicates a lack of understanding among the decision-makers of the impact the closure of mines has on the industry and the associated effects on the society and surrounding environment. The policies of the mining industry do make provision for a planned mine closure, but not for an unexpected closure. This detrimental aspect of closures in the mining industry is highlighted in the present study. The present study investigates how mineworkers’ dependency on their employment at a mine affects their ability to sustain their livelihoods. Vulnerable livelihoods leave the community at a greater risk to be affected by a disaster, than the livelihoods of a community that is resilient and has sustainable resources. Even though mineworkers are not considered as poor at the time of their employment, a mine closure could render them into a status called ‘transitional poverty’. This study also highlights that mineworkers who are skilled for mining operations only do not overcome the status of ‘transitional poverty’ and hence enter a phase called ‘chronic poverty’. This stage constitutes their inability to negotiate livelihood strategies and livelihood outcomes that could sustain a household. Thus humanitarian assistance would be needed from outside sources. Planning for unexpected mine closures should also be on the agenda of the mining industry due to the extreme consequences such an event holds for the mining community experiencing the event. In the case under investigation, the unexpected mine closures occurred in the Grootvlei mine in Springs and the Orkney mine owned by the Aurora Empowerment Systems Ltd. at the time of this study. These closures left the surrounding communities in need of food, shelter and clean water. The inhabitants gradually lost their livelihood assets. A contingency planning model is proposed at the end of this study to address the short-term and long-term consequences of an unexpected mine closure. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

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