Connecting research and policy - Three WRC research reports taken up in new mining and environment policies

Abstract

Water and mining Connecting research and policy - Three WRC research reports taken up in new mining and environment policies Wetlands ecosystems are vital ecological infrastructure that provide valuable services to people and are important biodiversity assets. By virtue of their positions in the landscape and relationship to drainage networks, wetlands are frequently impacted by coal-mining activities, especially opencast methods. The impacts are ongoing, since coal is a strategic resource and will continue to be mined to support the country’s development. The new water use application regulations that reference the WRC reports now insist that mines avoid, minimise and mitigate their impacts on wetlands. Dr Jo Burgess, WRC mine-water treatment and management research manager, says she is absolutely delighted at the policy uptake.

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