System Design of a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) Tool for Repurposing Pit Lakes into Aquaculture Operations

With the mining industry striving to become more sustainable, there is a pressing need to re-evaluate typical open pit restoration practices. Many open pit mining operations are naturally inundated after operations, leaving behind an unproductive lake. These sites neglect the environmental, cultural and socio-economic implications for dependent communities. One promising alternative that generates a positive ecological, social and economic change for the community involves the innovative repurposing of these pit lakes into productive aquaculture operations. The benefits could contribute significantly to the social equity, economic vitality and environmental integrity of mining communities.

With input from international experience and system research training in Japan, this research proposal aims to create a tool that helps identify pit lakes in Ontario that may be suitable for this transformation. This tool, called a multi-criteria decision analysis, evaluates and weighs multiple factors, such as hydrology, water quality, and technical and operational aspects to identify key pits of opportunity. By integrating geographic information system techniques, it also considers proximity to markets, climatic conditions, and socio-economic considerations. Each mine is assigned a score based on the aggregated factors, providing stakeholders with a clear metric to identify the best candidates for repurposing. The tool will be applied to existing pit lake datasets in Ontario, offering a strategic blueprint for sustainable development in the region. By making this tool available to public knowledge users, we generate momentum to deal with the thousands of pit lakes and abandoned open pits that exist in the province today.

Faculty Supervisor:

Qian Zhang

Student:

Partner:

The University of Tokyo

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Queen's University

Program: