REHABILITATION OF MINE CONTAMINATED ECO-SYSTEMS

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REHABILITATION OF MINE CONTAMINATED ECO-SYSTEMS

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This booklet makes the case for a project to address the waste and pollution legacy of mining in the Witwatersrand basin, with a clear linkage between the potential for revenue generation through materials reclamation and comprehensively addressing the entire rehabilitation challenge, with the participation of all stakeholders. It sketches the background and the extent of the challenge, the legislative and regulatory context and the imperatives for urgent action, then focuses in on the Tweelopiespruit wetlands area for a potential pilot project.

Work on pollution remediation and eco-system rehabilitation fits within the rubric of climate jobs, as it is necessary to address the growing vulnerability of communities to climate change impacts, as well as to address on-going natural resource degradation that is deepening poverty and inequality. While such work is in theory the responsibility of the mining companies involved, there has been a failure in duties of care and the urgently needed interventions require concerted action by the state, which is also necessary to realise the potential benefits for impacted communities.

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