Evaluation of Mine Reclamation Criteria using Delphi-Fuzzy Approach

The mining and mineral industry has an important role in supporting the sustainable development of countries. Many countries rely on the income derived from natural resources but exploitation of the natural resources may affect the environment and destroy the ecosystem. The mining activities usually affect the surrounding lands and ecosystems. The natural, social, and economic environments are parts of this ecosystem that are directly involved in these activities. In order to reduce the environmentally destructive effects of mining on the ecosystem, some important measures must be taken to minimize the negative impacts of mining and the related industries. In this work, for the first time, a study is conducted to define and categorize the reclamation criteria in three largest iron ore mines. During this research work, an attempt is made to establish, define, and evaluate forty reclamation criteria. Since the number of criteria is high, in order to adopt the best practice in a mine reclamation program, these criteria should be prioritized. The defined criteria are ranked by the mining experts, mining managers, and related university professors according to their experience and knowledge. The collected raw data is evaluated, processed by the Delphi-Fuzzy process, and finally, analyzed using the multi-criteria decision-making method. The prioritized criteria can provide the authorities with a guideline to start a reclamation planning based on the mining and environment requirements and budgeting and also to make the most fruitful, effective, and low-cost decisions