Project launched to regreen old mine sites

TRABZON

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has initiated a new program aimed at converting former mining areas into agricultural land and greening them using compost materials to enrich the soil.

Within the scope of "Mining Site Rehabilitation Action Plan,” its initial implementation was carried out in the northern province of Trabzon’s Tonya district, with a 2.2-hectare area where mining activities ceased.

The land was rejuvenated with the use of compost materials specially prepared from organic waste generated by tea factories and households, allowing the area to bloom with flowers.

This practice aims to apply the vegetation improvement method, which is widely used worldwide due to its low cost and time advantages, to all mining sites in the country where production has concluded.

Umut Bahadır Sarıtaş, a forest engineer involved in the project, pointed out that abandoned mining sites are susceptible to wind and water erosion and pose a threat to human health and biological diversity.

"Due to the removal of the fertile topsoil layer before mining operations begin in these areas, soil fertility is significantly reduced, and the amount of organic matter in the soil is very low,” Sarıtaş explained.

"With our study, we initially planned to establish lavender gardens in abandoned mining areas under suitable conditions. However, when we observed that the silene compacta plant, which is naturally found in the region's flora, settled in the research area very quickly and under favorable conditions, we shifted our focus to this plant and achieved positive results," he added.