Degradation by coal mining should be priority in restoration planning

In the southern part of the Atlantic Forest region, in Santa Catarina, Brazil, coal mining has led to severe degradation, with former mining areas abandoned decades ago without any concern about environmental and social damage. Up to recently, little restoration activity had been developed, despite severe and ongoing environmental degradation that also causes risks to human health. We argue that these areas should be made restoration priority, and that the development of specific restoration actions and measures for sites like these are urgent. To achieve effective restoration planning we must overcome some challenges, such as prioritization of areas for restoration, establishment long-term monitoring, development of realistic goals, avoidance of the use of invasive grasses, and inclusion of human population and their needs into discussion of restoration goals and approached. We recognize that, due to pollution and contamination problems, cost for restoration is a massive challenge in the region, but even higher costs for population and environment are expected if sites would not be restored. Considering the environment and human health risks of areas degraded by coal mining, restoration efforts should be of high priority on all level of governance, and ways should be found to include this into the procedures for prioritization of restoration activities.