Document Type : Original Research Paper
Authors
- Masoud Monjezi 1
- Safa Moezinia 2
- Jafar Khademi Hamidi 2
- Mojtaba Rezakhah 2
- Vahid Amini 3
- Amir Batarbiat 2
1 Tarbiat Modares University
2 Dept. of Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 1411713116, Iran
3 Department of Mining Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, 15875-4413, Iran
Abstract
Open-pit mine rehabilitation is essential for managing environmental impacts and achieving sustainable development after mining operations cease. The goal of this study is to find the best way to fix up the Zarshuran Gold Mine by ranking eight different ways to fix it up using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). These options are restoring the mine to its original state, planting trees, building a wind farm, creating a recreational area, setting up pastures, farming, building a solar power plant, and creating a tourist attraction. A panel of twelve experts evaluated these alternatives according to ten key criteria: air temperature intensity, number of sunny days, soil conditions, distance from residential areas, topographic irregularity, vegetation density, average wind speed, local animal species, site access, and the size and shape of the mined area. The results indicate that the construction of a solar power plant is identified as the most suitable rehabilitation option for the Zarshuran Gold Mine, considering the region’s climatic conditions (particularly the high number of sunny days per year) and its potential for clean energy generation and revenue creation. This study emphasizes the importance of considering environmental, social, and technical criteria in the decision-making process for mine rehabilitation and provides a framework for selecting sustainable rehabilitation methods in similar mining contexts.
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