jailcd2016067: A GIS Based Environmental Management System for Mining in Afghanistan

Abstract

Afghanistan is a country with a landlocked geography and the mountainous environment of Afghanistan is home to over 1400 mineral fields containing considerable reserves of minerals, oil, and natural gas. The usual insight in Afghanistan in that the extraction of mining industry ‘can solve a considerable part of the existing economic problems’ in the country by its own and the government of Afghanistan also committed for strengthening the mining sector. As geographical location and areal extension of mineral deposits are not controllable, thus mining activities can negatively affect the environment. Managing the environmental issues of mining in a sustainable framework is vital for smooth growth of mining industry and conservation of the environment. It can contribute improvement of mining environment, risk management, conservation of biodiversity; suggest effective and safety steps before, during, and after mining, etc. in consideration of city development. This paper proposes A GIS based environmental management system for mining in Afghanistan, including the environmental database, evaluation and optimization proposal part. Firstly, it introduces the exist problems consisting land disturbance to water and air pollution and affecting of surrounding communities natural environment. Secondly, it offers a GIS based environmental database. Thirdly, it analyzes the relationship between environment, mining industry and city development by GIS and remote sensing. Finally it offers a concept for developing an environmental management system for mining to minimize the undesired environmental impacts of mining and give an optimal proposals inconsideration of mining industry and city sustainable development.