Methodological Framework for Evaluating Quarry Reclamation Based on the Reclamation Quality Index

Oľga Glova Végsöová and Jozef Glova ()
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Oľga Glova Végsöová: Institute of Earth Resources, BERG Faculty, Technical University of Kosice, Park Komenského 19, 040-01 Kosice, Slovakia
Jozef Glova: Department of Marketing, The Faculty of Management, Rzeszow University of Technology, Al. Powstancow Warszawy 10, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-26

Abstract: Mining activities in a quarry significantly interfere with the landscape, weaken its ecological functions, disrupt the continuity of habitats and change its natural character. The aim of this study is to present a robust, transparent, and participatory methodological framework centered on the Reclamation Quality Index, which enables a comprehensive and repeatable assessment of reclamation quality. At a time when the restoration of functional, ecologically stable and long-term sustainable landscapes is increasingly important, there is a need for reliable tools to assess the quality of restoration. This article presents an original methodology for the evaluation of quarry reclamation, which combines scientific precision with practical applicability. The proposed Reclamation Quality Index is built on multidisciplinary foundations and uses the Delphi methodology, through which expert knowledge and weighted preferences enter the evaluation process. A tool designed in this way makes it possible to quantify the quality of land restoration, identify the benefits of individual interventions, support effective planning, and strengthen the strategic management of post-mining transformation. At the same time, the Reclamation Quality Index creates space for the application of the principles of ecological stability and integration of the landscape as a living, dynamic system in the process of restoration. With its structure and philosophy, the methodology represents a prospective approach to the evaluation and planning of the post-extraction landscape. Its application goes beyond academia, as it can serve as a support for environmental policymaking, landscape planning, and assessing the quality of restoration in practice.

Keywords: quarry reclamation; reclamation quality index; post-mining areas; the Delphi method; sustainable landscape restoration; reclamation quality assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:8:p:1557-:d:1712401

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