The mining industry is essential for the maintenance of societies, has great economic importance in the EU and employs thousands of people. However, there are several environmental impacts associated with this activity, so the recovery of mining areas is essential.

Mining impacts may include contamination, erosion and silting up of water lines and mischaracterization of the hydromorphology, impairing nature conservation and the maintenance of the riverside biodiversity. Appropriate mining restoration practices combined with ecological habitat restoration are essential to keep a good environmental quality.

An adequate ecological restoration combined with innovative techniques and solutions that use the geomorphological potential of the sites involved, guarantee the landscape naturalness and the ecosystemic functionality.

Physical and chemical contamination of water in mining regions can have varied origins, like the erosion and sediment emission or the Acid Mine Drainage (DAM). Finding solutions to avoid these phenomena, prior to their contact with natural water courses, is a primal goal in the recovery of such areas.

The knowledge and respect for the natural values and biodiversity that are part of a mining region, guarantee the possibility of making mining activities compatible with nature conservation, through the ecological restoration of degraded areas, namely in protected areas.

The mining activity has a long tradition in the Iberian Peninsula being part of its cultural identity. Usually developing in sparsely populated and depressed areas, it contributes to the attraction, growing and pep of the population. Former recovered mining areas, can also provide education actions and sharing on mining history and technology. Scientific and nature tourism and similar activities are opportunities to boost the population, preserve the local memories and obtain new products, thus contributing to a sustainable development.