The effects of the Mining Industry in the Environment

Effects of Mining to the Environment

1. Environmental pollution — Mining leads to environmental pollution like water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, and noise pollution.
2. Land dereliction — Mining causes land dereliction (abandoning of exhausted land). This destroys the nature of the landscape and leads to mineral resource exhaustion.
3. Deforestation — It accelerates deforestation as a result of clearing of vegetation so as to establish the mining centers and settlement.
4. Soil destruction — The size of the land is reduced and the soil structure and texture are destroyed because of the mixture with rock fragments and hence plant growth cannot take place easily.
5. Loss of biodiversity — Mining leads to the disappearance of valuable plant species, i.e. loss of biodiversity.
6. Greenhouse effect and global warming — These can occur as a result of the used energy generating minerals like coal, uranium, etc. These produce gases like carbon dioxide which pollute the atmosphere.
7. Disease spread — The pits, which are flooded with water, act as mosquito breeding places and hence accelerate the spread of malaria.

Suggested Ways of Minimizing the Effects of Mining to the Environment

1. Improving extraction methods — Use better techniques to reduce environmental impact.
2. Reducing population pressure — Decrease pressure on land used for mining.
3. Reclaiming affected areas — Reclaim the areas which have been affected by mining like planting trees.
4. Developing alternative energy sources — Develop other sources of energy rather than depending on energy resources from the ground.
5. Establishing other economic activities — Develop other economic activities like fishing, tourism, and market gardening instead of depending on mining only.