At a mine reclamation site in Canada, a Barr Engineering employee walks through a wetland collecting water samples. Courtesy of Barr Engineering

The next major revolution for the mining industry might not lie in leading-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation or even the electrification of operations or the industry morphing into a leading player in the energy sector. Instead, it very likely will come from an approach to mine closure, reclamation and post-mining socio-economic transition that has emerged in the last decade.