The use of remote sensing technology in assessing the success of reclamation in post-mining area at PT Vale Indonesia

Abstract

Mining activities with an open system trigger land degradation which results in a decrease in land quality. Decreasing of land quality is related to the level of fertility and soil chemical properties, so that in general ex-mining land contains low nutrients. In several mining companies that implement environmental sustainability, these problems are resolved through reclamation activities. However, this reclamation activity needs to be assessed, to measure the success of reclamation in post-mining area. In this study we demonstrate an assessment of the success of mine reclamation in the largest nickel mining area in South Sulawesi, using remote sensing technology. Formulation of NIR and Red bands on Sentinel 2 imagery can produce Normalized Difference Vegetation Index index. From the vegetation index value, it is known that the observed reclamation area is close to the high vegetation index value (0.7-0.9). Actually, this value is close to the index value of vegetation around natural forest, but the coverage of the reclamation area with this index value is still less. From the planting period of reclamation land which began in 1996 to 2020, the results of the assessment of higher vegetation were 22.42% of the total reclamation area.