Remote monitoring of land degradation in the mining context: an updated review focusing on potentials and challenges

Land degradation is a global challenge with profound impacts on both people’s livelihoods and the environment. Mining activities present significant environmental challenges, necessitating effective monitoring and management strategies for land impacted by post-mining activities. Remote sensing has emerged as a crucial tool for monitoring land degradation and its spatial patterns in mining regions. However, there are several challenges that impede the successful application of earth observation data in these contexts. This paper comprehensively examines the importance of earth observation data in understanding trends and occurrences of land degradation in mining and post-mining areas. Firstly, it provides background information on the extent, causes, forms, and dynamics of land degradation in these regions. Subsequently, an overview of available earth observation data is presented, encompassing remote sensing variables, parameters, characteristics, and associated challenges in using them for monitoring land degradation in mining areas. Lastly, the paper discusses the primary obstacles to the promotion and utilization of these data for environmental monitoring in mining activities.