Mining, Sustainable Development Goals, And Post-Mining: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Mining is a sector with a significant role in supporting welfare within the framework of the environment, economy, and society. A study by Mancini and Sala (2018) states that many of the Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without the contribution of this sector. The current trend focuses on how to create sustainable mines while planning for post-mining. This article aims to review academic research related to mining, sustainability, sustainable development, and post-mining action plans. Data collection was based on publications from 2010 to 2025 using five steps: (i) searching data with two queries (“post mining” OR “post mine” OR “post-mining” OR “post-mine”) AND “sustainable mining” and (“post mining” OR “post mine” OR “post-mining” OR “post-mine”) AND “mining sustainability”; (ii) organizing articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria; (iii) filtering articles by titles, abstracts, and full reviews; (iv) processing data with VosViewer; and (v) analyzing the processed data. The results show that, although publications related to mining and sustainability continue to grow, the focus on post-mining activities related to the economy, including the development of agricultural businesses, remains limited. This presents an interesting opportunity to develop post-mining development scenarios.