RAME — Research Association Mining and Environment

Description

The Research Association Mining and Environment in Vietnam was founded in the year 2005. German research institutions and companies created RAME in order to combine their experiences in the mining field and to prepare a joint research project. The main task of RAME is to develop and adapt environmental concepts and to carry out capacity building for the hardcoal mining industry in Vietnam, especially in the following fields:

• Environmental planning for a sustainable landuse in mining areas,
• Environmental management in the coal mines,
• Stabilization and recultivation of waste rock dump sites: seepage water balance, exfiltration of pollutants and dump fires,
• Water management in mining areas, especially treatment of different kinds of waste waters caused during the coal production,
• Dust monitoring and mitigation in and around the mining areas.

Background

The province Quang Ninh provides about 95% of the total hardcoal production of Vietnam. It is the most important hardcoal mining area in Vietnam. Moreover, the province shows exemplary the landuse conflicts between industry, settlements, tourism and the natural resources where the available space is very limited. Quang Ninh is an important industrial area due to its location near the coal reserves and near to the border with China. And the province is one of the most famous tourism centers of Vietnam, because of the limestone islands of Ha Long bay. The bay developed recently into a tourism center for both domestic and international tourists. Already in 1994 it was recognized as a world natural heritage by UNESCO.

Near the coast of Quang Ninh province the main landuses are tourism, industry and settlements. The coal mining areas are located in the hinterland but not very far away from the coastal areas. Especially in Hon Gai settlements and mining areas are very close to each other.

This makes environmental measures in the coal mines even more necessary. For the tourism areas especially the effects on landscape due to mining activities are crucial. By reclaiming new land from the sea the province tries to provide more areas for living and for tourism facilities. But the reclaimed areas on the other hand also pose a threat for the natural resources of Ha Long bay. To find an environmental sustainable balance between all the landuse requirements regional environmental planning is necessary.

Objectives

Improvement of the environmental conditions in Quang Ninh province by developing suitable technology and planning measures
Implementation of pilot plants for developing environmental technologies in the fields of waste rock dumps, mine waters and dust
Development of environmental planning methods for the prevention of conflicts in regions with a high landuse intensity
Integration into a central environmental management including environmental monitoring and environmental information system
Training of environmental staff, building up environmental awareness in the mining companies

Research activities

• Environmental management system, environmental information system, environmental monitoring in the coal mining industry
• Stabilization and recultivation of waste rock dumps: seepage water balance, exfiltration of pollutants and dump fires
• Water management for mining regions, adaption of process components for the treatment of complex waste waters from coal mining
• Dust mitigation and monitoring
• Biological methods based on plants for a sustainable recultivation of waste rock dumps and the treatment of mine waters