Rehabilitation of the natural environment as the structural element of ecological security

The mining and geology sector exerts the integrate effect on the environment. Mining mining leads to landscape transformation, soil impoverishment and accumulation of waste. The mining-associated processes are the cause of pollution of air (emissions of equipment and machine) surface and ground water (effluents and mine water, drilling mud), as well as activate or induce natural and stimulated processes (on hillslopes, etc.). Man-made accidents during mining are also one of the aggravating environmental impacts. The result is the deterioration of the ecological situation or transformation (degrading) of ecosystems. In the latter case, it is required to rehabilitate the natural environment, i.e. to recover functions of ecosystems. This research aims to describe basic methods of the nature rehabilitation and to determine its place in the system of ecological security. This study distinguishes between three groups of rehabilitation: natural, technological and mixed. The opinion on absoluteness of the technological rehabilitation is refuted. It is emphasized that in the mining and geology sector, the main rehabilitating measure is land reclamation. However, it fails to recover an ecosystem in full, and it is necessary to use an eco-system approach to rehabilitation of the natural environment. This study also appoints some ways of improving the ecosystem recovery activities. In particular, it is suggested to develop a unified system integral methodology of the nature rehabilitation. It is highlighted that rehabilitation should be considered not as a separate measure but as a part of the ecological security.

Akhmadiyev A. K., Ekzaryan V. N. Rehabilitation of the natural environment as the structural element of ecological security. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2020;(2):112-120. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236-1493-2020-2-0-112-120.

A.K. Akhmadiyev¹, Graduate Student, e-mail: art696@mail.ru,
V.N. Ekzaryan¹, Dr. Sci. (Geol. Mineral.), Professor, e-mail: vnekzar@rambler.ru,
¹ Sergo Ordzhonikidzе Russian State Geological Prospecting University (MGRI-RSGPU), 117997, Moscow, Russia.

A.K. Akhmadiyev, e-mail: art696@mail.ru.

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