The aim of the activities within Output 3.2.1 "European Initiatives Analysis" was to collect, analyse, evaluate and present the existing experience in the use of post-mining potentials. Cases of good practice projects (shorter GPP) and centres of knowledge (shorter CoK) are gathered in thematic reports, published on line and in this database. The target groups, which are benefiting from the final result, are:
- mining municipalities, regions, associations, for whom the data base will offer contacts and hands-on experience;
- policy makers and administrations, who will gain a proof of feasibility on concrete examples;
- scientists, who will get a source of empiric data;
- European bodies, for whom the data base will provide an overview over the state of development in Central Europe.
Collected data was then analyzed. The results were published in thematic reports and presented on the maps. Further on cases were evaluated, based on methodology developed for the purpose of this project. Each case has also became part of the on-line database which enables custom search and cartographical representation of data on the basis of the chosen criteria and by the support of Google maps.
European Initiative Analysis Reports
Introduction to European Initiative Analysis
Thematic report for natural potentials
Thematic report for cultural potentials
Thematic report for integrative approaches
Search the knowledge database...
Short overview of good practice projects
Altogether study includes 50 cases of good practice projects, almost half of them from Germany (46% or 23 in total). All other countries are represented with much fewer examples, Czech Republic with 7, Austria and Slovenia with 6, Hungary 5 and Poland 3. One Slovenian case was additionally added to the database in July 2011. This case is not included in the statistical overview which was already done in year 2010. The rather small number of cases in those countries could be firstly attributed to the mutual and prior agreement between partners on the number of collected data regarding the size of the country and population number. Secondly, number of collected cases is limited due to the following facts: the use of post-mining potentials is presently much less developed in those countries than in Germany; in certain cases (i.e. Slovenia) the size of the country or the number of mines could play a role; some scientific partners experienced severe problems with either poor response or lack of data in general. Good practice projects are represented in this database with the circle shape sign in different colours: green for natural potentials (
), red for cultural potentials (
) and yellow for integrative approaches (
).
Map showing good practice projects
Show the list of good practice projects
Facts about collected cases:
- 36% of case are classified as using natural potentials, 32% cultural potentials and same percent integrative approach
- Prevailing use of natural potentials is land reclamation and renaturation, geothermal energy and biomass on mining land; from cultural potentials mainly cultural utilisation of mining infrastructure and tourist routes of mining attractions are present
- The oldest project is Wieliczka Salt Mine Poland where the first tourist route was established in 19th century, otherwise the start of projects is rather equally distributed among 5-years periods (1991-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005, nearly one fourth started from 2006 on)
- Nearly 40% of projects are finished, 24% are unfinished, 20% is permanent or on-going projects, there is no data for 9 projects
- Almost half of the projects were initiated by public sector initiator
- Only 37 out of 55 cases submitted financial data, of which 22 were worth more than 1 mio € and investments were made in reclamation, built structures, infrastructure, e.g. Bad Schlema spa, show mine, museum and thematic trail, Austrian rack-railway "Salzbergbahn" in Hallstatt, underground tourist route in Peca etc.
- Public financing has been involved in majority of projects, with national financing as predominant source in 38%, followed by EU (19%) and regional (14%); as one could expect more commercially attractive sites, such as those of larger events and tourist use are more attractive for private capital
- In 29% of cases main actor came from public sector (municipalities, cities, districts and departments) and overtook the role of coordination, technical support, finance etc.
- The smallest area is the Austrian Schwazer Silbergwerk which covers 0.6ha, the biggest one is German IBA Emscher Park with 80,000ha
- No prevailing type of mine (22 cases an underground excavation, 20 an open cast and 7 both types); prevailing ore is brown coal (31%) and black coal (18%), rest is divided among iron ore, lead, zinc, uranium, salt and others
- It cannot be expected that share of new jobs compared to number of jobs at peak employment would be significant
Short overview of centres of knowledge
Collected database consists of 23 cases of centres of knowledge. Approximately one third (30%) of centres are located in Germany, slightly more than one fifth in Hungary and one fifth in Czech Republic. The rest of the countries are represented with 2 cases each. Considering the type of potentials 12 centres are specialised mostly on natural potentials, in 10 cases on integrated approach and in 4 cases on cultural potentials and. The total is more than the number of centres because some of them specialise in more than one type of potential. Centres of knowledge are represented in this
database with the rectangular shape sign in different colours: green for natural potentials (
), red for cultural potentials (
) and yellow for integrative approaches (
). 
Map showing centres of knowledge
Show the list of centres of knowledge
Facts about collected cases:
- Some of the centres were established many years ago - 3 of them before 1900 and as part of universities, such as Faculty of Earth science, geotechnical engineering and mining at Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany; in more than half of the cases centres were established in last decade of past century or later
- Slightly less than half (48%) of the centres are independent
- More than 50% of centres are publically financed (no answer was given for one third of the cases)
- Specific knowledge offered to the regions by the surveyed centres is revitalisation of post-industrial and post-mining areas, analysis of post-mining adaptation and land use development, knowledge of biomass utilisation, exploration and evaluation of geothermal deposits, preservation of cultural heritage etc.
- All centres were included in more than 50 initiatives, e.g. Czech centres concentrated on research in of the coal mass conversion into high quality products, possibilities on how to use by-products and waste, on interdisciplinary assessment of mining impacts and in-depth soil research, ecological recovery and strategies for recovery of landscape.
Up-to-date information on database content, October 2011
During final editing of the database some changes had to be done. Firstly, two centres of knowledge, one from Germany and one from Czech Republic were added. German centre of knowledge - named IBA study-house Fürst-Pückler-Land and was categorized as integrative approach, while the Czech example – company ENKI o.p.s. which engages in environmental studies, was added to natural potentials. These two cases are included in the internet knowledge database, but are not presented neither in the descriptive part of on-line presentation nor in thematic reports.
In addition it should be noted that two existing examples from the database no longer exist. Firstly, Customer Service Office of the Miskolc District Mine Inspectorate of the Hungarian Geological and Mining Bureau has terminated operation on its own and has been associated with the Budapest one. Furthermore, the good practice project The Mercury and Silver Binomial between Almaden and Idrija with San Luis Potosi which applied for UNESCO World Heritage list did not succeed with the application. Despite of mentioned facts the two cases were kept in the database since they show two potential options for activities in post-mining regions. They also remain in the thematic reports and cases overview.
