Remote Sensing Monitoring of Ecological-Economic Impacts in the Belt and Road Initiatives Mining Project: A Case Study in Sino Iron and Taldybulak Levoberezhny

Abstract

Under the Belt and Road Initiatives, China’s overseas cooperation in constructing mining projects has developed rapidly. The development and utilization of mining resources are essential requirements for socio-economic development. At the same time, the ecological impacts of the exploitation and utilization of mining resources have increasingly aroused the widespread concern of the international community. This paper uses Landsat images, high-resolution images, and nighttime light (NTL) data to remotely monitor Sino Iron in Australia and Taldybulak Levoberezhny in Kyrgyzstan in different development periods to provide a reference for the rational development of mineral resources and environmental management. The results show that the Chinese enterprises have achieved good results in the ecological protection of the mining area during the construction period. The development of the mine has caused minor damage to the surrounding environment and has not destroyed the local natural ecological pattern. The different NTL indices show an overall rising trend, indicating that the construction of mines has dramatically promoted the socio-economic development of countries along the Belt and Road in both time and space. Therefore, relevant departments should practice green development in overseas projects, establish a scientific mine governance system, and promote a win-win economic growth and environmental governance situation.

Status and Prospect of Ecological Environment in the Belt and Road Initiative Regions

“…Mineral resources are an essential material basis for socioeconomic development, and almost all industrial sectors have a connection with the consumption of mineral resources [ 86 ]. Rich in mineral resources, the BRI-related countries are a globally important supply base of resources, where mineral resource exploitation plays an irreplaceable role in their socioeconomic development [ 76 ].…”

“…In the future, improving energy management and technology utilization levels should be focused on reducing energy waste and improving resource utilization efficiency under the cooperation framework of BRI. Moreover, the overexploitation and overconsumption of mineral resources and the deposition of mining waste will lead to various secondary eco-environmental problems, such as vegetation degradation, land occupation, ground subsidence, and biodiversity loss, which will pose challenges to the regional eco-environment [ 86 ].…”

Development and Application of Water Quality Index (WQI) for the Evaluation of the Physico-Chemical Quality of Groundwater in Gold Mining Areas of Southeastern Senegal

“…Despite this obvious importance, gold mining activities lead to severe impacts on the natural environment. In fact, according to [1], continuous exploitation of mineral resources and the deposition of mining waste will lead to various secondary environmental problems such as vegetation degradation, land occupation, ground subsidence, and biodiversity loss [2] [3] [4] which will pose challenges to the local ecological environment and the sustainable development of the social economy [5] [6] [7] [8].…”

Active–Passive Remote Sensing Evaluation of Ecological Environment Quality in Juye Mining Area, China

“…These technologies offer multiple platforms, higher accuracy, macroscopic insights, and extensive coverage, effectively overcoming the limitations associated with traditional survey and sampling methods, thereby furnishing robust support for environmental monitoring and evaluation. Among various methodologies, the Remote Sensing Ecology Index (RSEI) stands out as a predominant tool for evaluating ecological environment quality [11][12][13][14][15]. Initiated by Xu Hanqiu in 2013 [16], RSEI incorporates four key ecological indicators: greenness (NDVI), humidity (WET), dryness (NDBSI), and heat (LST).…”