Developing a monitoring and reporting framework to assess coal mine impact on aquifer-wetland interactions

Abstract

Groundwater and surface water are legally recognised in South Africa as a single, integrated resource. However, scientific understanding of aquifer–wetland interactions in coal mining environments remains limited, particularly within headwater catchments subject to competing mining and agricultural land uses. This study advances understanding of groundwater–wetland connectivity by developing and applying an integrated, field-validated framework to assess the hydrological, geochemical, and ecological functioning of wetlands affected by coal mining in selected catchments of the upper Olifants, upper Komati, and upper Vaal river systems.