Directions of post-mining areas revitalization in a selected area of polish-czech borderland

Mining activity causes negative changes in the environment, which are most frequently referred to as mining damage. We usually deal with different kinds of land distortions, the so-called degradation, the type of which is mainly dependent on the geological conditions of strata deposition as well as the intensification and size of output and mining methods applied. The major effects of mining activity include deformations with secondary effects, discharge of saline waters from mining plants’ drainage, mining waste, areas requiring reclamation and management, methane emissions from mines, emissions of dust and gases. It should be emphasised that mining damage has a strong influence on the psyche of people inhabiting the degraded areas and can cause the sense of hopelessness, loneliness and helplessness, which results from living in such a place [3]. The appearance of degraded areas is closely related to the change of industrial society into post-industrial society. These changes refer not only to economy and economic activity, but also to spatial standards and all kinds of lifestyles. These new forms of activity should become a priority for degraded areas. In post-industrial society the spatial demand for production purposes is lower, whereas for services, consumption and recreation this demand is higher [10,7]. Phenomena related to the unfavourable effect of mining activity are particularly visible in the border area of the Silesian Province (Poland) and Moravian-Silesian Region (Czech Republic) [6]. The article presents a discussion of the results of studies the aim of which was to become acquainted with the local community’s opinion on the preferred directions of post-mining areas’ revitalization. In the conducted studies the opinions of different social groups according to their occupation, age and education have been analysed. The research was conducted in a commune near the Polish-Czech border.