Current issue 4/2025

Editorial

Following the end of hard coal mining and shortly before the phasing out of lignite mining, North Rhine-Westphalia is increasingly transforming from an important mining region into a post-mining region. The region is using its extensive experience and innovative knowledge to record and manage the traces of intensive raw material extraction. The symposium “Nachbergbauzeit in NRW”, which took place on 20th March 2025 for the ninth time and was jointly organised by the Arnsberg District Government, Department of Mining and Energy in North Rhine-Westphalia, Dortmund,  nd the Research Center of Post-Mining (FZN) of the TH Georg Agricola University (THGA), Bochum.

The use of drones in post-mining, 3D modelling, improvements to digital maps for risk management, automation in geomonitoring, digitised water management, the use of AI and open data systems: With a wide range of topics and perspectives, the conference shed light on post-mining, visualised science in the presentations and explored potential. In addition to an overview of the conference content, this issue of Mining Report Glückauf focuses on two presentations in particular: The article “Drones as a Tool for Post-Mining Environmental and Geomonitoring Applications” presents a portfolio from the FZN’s research environment, and the article “Development and Evaluation of an Interactive Tool for Multi-Hazard Analysis in European Post-Mining Regions” uses the EU project “Post-Mining Multi-Hazards Evaluation for Land-Planning” (POMHAZ) how methodological knowledge for multi-hazard analysis at the level of mining areas can be expanded and hazard assessment and risk management in former mining regions improved.

With the Recovery Mining District Network (REMINDNET), we are also presenting a pan-European network to promote international knowledge exchange and develop a joint research agenda for dealing with the legacy of raw material extraction. Furthermore, we are working on the recording of historical mining sites by the Mining and Energy Department of the Arnsberg District Government, focusing on soil protection using the example of the Callerstolln mine field. Finally, we will contribute to a central question of post-mining research, namely the development potential of mining sites from a socio-economic perspective.

With my best regards