Mining activities have intensive water and energy needs that require reliable infrastructure for ongoing supply.In several jurisdictions, regulations require mining companies to clear all service infrastructure as part of closure planning.This creates significant challenges for remote communities near mine sites that often rely on company-sponsored infrastructure for essential services such as energy and water.Unreliable or unaffordable services not only impact the local quality of life but can also significantly constrain post-closure economic diversification opportunities.This uncertainty in reliable access to critical public services in mining-dependent communities has received little attention in contemporary scholarship on mine closure planning.
Clerc et al. (Thu,) studied this question.