Ecological restoration in mining areas in the context of the Belt and Road initiative: Capability and challenges

Ecological risks associated with mineral resource extraction are of particular concern in the Belt and Road regions, yet ecological restoration has received little attention. This paper reviewed the mining situation and related ecological impacts in the Belt and Road areas, analyzed the factors impeding ecological restoration capability, assessed the capability, and then presented the key challenges and promotion strategy. The main results showed that: (1) Abundant mineral resources exist in the Belt and Road, covering up to 24,234 km2, accounting for 42.31% of the global mining areas; (2) Mining activities, open-pit or underground, can cause ecological disturbances such as excavation damage, land occupation, collapse, and pollution; (3) Economic development, environmental management, scientific and technological innovation, the political environment, investment by mining enterprises, and ecological conditions affect the ecological restoration capacity in each country; (4) The ecological restoration capability index was 67.14, 66.80, 65.12, 64.73, 60.20, and 58.89 in West Asia & North Africa, Northeast Asia & Russia, Southeast Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia, with large regional and internal differences; (5) Key challenges include imperfect multi-stakeholder administration system, lack of effective remediation technologies, and shortage of financial support. Therefore, the countries in the Belt and Road regions should be united to establish extensive policy standards and mine governance systems applicable to the mining lifecycle, improve joint research and development of restoration technologies, and build multi-funding support systems.