Reading the land – new atlas set to improve decision-making around mining and water

Abstract

Mine-water management Reading the land – new atlas set to improve decision-making around mining and water Headlines about acid mine drainage (AMD) have hammered home the threat posed by disused gold and coal mines to water resources on the Witwatersrand, but how much do we know about the risks associated with current and future mining activity? After peaking in the 1970s, gold production by South Africa remained in the top spot in the world rankings until 2006, but now only manages 12th place. Today, however, the country is the world leader in the production of platinum, chromite ore, manganese, vermiculite and ilmenite, and is also among the five largest producers of palladium, zirconium, vanadium, fluorospar, rutile and gem-quality diamonds. In addition, it falls within the top 12 for coal, cobalt, iron ore, nickel and silicon production.

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