ザンビア，カッパーベルト州における持続可能な鉱山閉鎖の実行のための包括的枠組みの開発

Mining industry significantly contributes to government revenues and job creation. In regions such as Africa, the mining sector is of utmost importance, with nations such as, Zambia, relying heavily on it for its GDPs. Considering the growing global emphasis on sustainable development, it is essential to consider mining from a sustainability perspective. When a mine reaches unprofitable production levels, it is necessary to close it. Historically, mine closures have been conducted in an environmentally harmful manner, leading to long-lasting negative consequences. However, modern sustainable development principles and integrated into Zambian legislation aim to enhance the environmental sustainability of mine closure. To address this question, this study examines sustainability principles in international and Zambian mining and closure policies. The analysis revealed that Zambia's mine closure legislation was reasonably robust in terms of incorporating sustainability principles. The next step was to survey a group of experts on environmental sustainability indicators and current and best mine closure practices in the Copperbelt Province. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling. This study employed a mixed-format questionnaire and utilized both qualitative narrative analysis and quantitative analysis when appropriate. Furthermore, Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes associated with mining activities were mapped using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) from 1990 to 2020 to comprehend the dynamics of LULC change associated with mining activities. This research aimed to evaluate the environmental principles and sustainable development indicators of mine closures in the province, with a focus on the experiences and work environments of the respondents, the current status of mining environmental indicators in the province, mine closure and closure planning, and the awareness and opinions of the Zambian mine closure legislation. The results revealed that the majority of mine closure professionals in the province work in the private sector (92.4%), 70% employed at mine sites, 12.9 % serving as consultants, 6.3% in corporate roles, and 3.3% in legal positions. The top five economic minerals in Zambia account for 90% of closure experts' experiences. This study also found that mine closure practices in the province cover a range of aspects throughout the mine lifecycle. However, there are several challenges, including inconsistent environmental monitoring data, insufficient baseline studies, and a lack of commitment from senior management. Some progress has been made, such as an emphasis on proactive planning for end-use objectives for land and water. This study assessed the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) modifications that occurred due to mining activities. The LULC classification for 2020 achieved an overall accuracy of 82.47% and a kappa coefficient of 0.78. The primary LULC classes comprised bare land, built-up area, forest, grassland/pasture/agricultural land, and water. The proportion of each class's area in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 revealed that grassland/pasture/agricultural land occupied the largest space in 1990, accounting for 46.2% (369.43 km2) of the total LULC categories assigned. This class experienced a significant increase of 51.7% (412.96 km2) in 2020. In general, 45.2% of the district area (360.92 km2) underwent LULC changes from 1990 to 2020. The overall change indicates that the areas of built-up area, bare land, and grassland/pasture/agricultural land expanded by 35.84 km2, 14.67 km2, and 43.53 km2, respectively. Meanwhile, forest experienced a loss of 95.30 km2, with the primary driver being the privatization of mining companies. However, the forest loss was highest between 1990-2000 and 2010-2020 (42.04 and 43.86 km2, respectively). The third study identified significant inadequacies and ineffectiveness in the Zambia's legal framework for mine closure. It found a scarcity of detailed sustainability indicators and insufficient consideration of socioeconomic factors. The current legislation mainly focuses on environmental aspects in the EIA process, mandating mine developers to submit Environment Impact Statement (EIS) or Environment Project Brief (EPB) containing some closure-related information but falls short in comprehensive sustainability practices. The Mines and Minerals (Environmental) Regulations (1997) and the Environmental Protection Fund Regulations (1998) exist but do not adequately enforce rehabilitation and post-closure obligations. These regulatory gaps coupled with inadequate public and stakeholder engagement in altering mine closure procedures highlight the need for a more robust legal framework that ensures comprehensive and sustainable mine closure practices, aligns with international best practices and addresses environmental, social, and economic impacts. This study explored the discrepancy between Zambia's mine closure regulations and their practical implementation, advo ...