Restoring coal mine degraded lands in India for achieving the United Nations‐Sustainable Development Goals
Jitendra Ahirwal, Subodh Kumar Maiti
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities substantially altered the ecosystem's functioning and most of them are directly or indirectly responsible for biodiversity loss, land degradation, and climate change. Therefore, maximizing the conservation of natural capital and restoring the potential of the natural ecosystems are essential to sustain life on this planet. Where most of the economic activities are coupled with environmental degradation, the reestablishment of ecosystem attributes is a vital part of global conservation strategies. Mining activities cause inevitable loss of ecological structure and functions, while restoration of mine degraded lands provides an opportunity to reinstate ecological integrity and to develop a self‐sustaining ecosystem. However, it cannot be possible without learning from our experience, scientific research, community participation, traditional knowledge, political support, and economic backup. Here, we summarize some of the field observations explicitly based on the restoration of coal mine degraded lands in India. Experiences based on the practical approaches of ecosystem restoration highlight the key role of physical aspects of restoration, selection of plant species for biological restoration, and its combined effect on generating socioeconomic and environmental benefits. We recommend the inclusion of a site‐specific restoration plan, native species for reforestation, and involvement of the local community in restoration programs. Moreover, they are essential to attain the United Nations‐Sustainable Development Goals (UN‐SDGs) particularly, reduce poverty and hunger, provide affordable and clean energy, mitigate climate change, and reestablish life on degraded lands.