THE 12 PRINCIPLES OF LANDFORM DESIGN

1. Mine with the end in mind. Create a shared vision for the reclaimed land among the mine, Indigenous peoples, and local communities. Work together to earn each other’s trust. 
2. Establish governance. Assemble a multidisciplinary design team. Appoint a lead designer. Design mining landscapes with flair.
3. Set clear land-use targets, goals, design objectives, and design criteria in a Design Basis Memorandum. Support the vision. Anticipate the land will evolve over time — physically, chemically, ecologically, and socially. Design and maintain the land to adapt to these changes, including those driven by an ever-changing climate.
4. Work collaboratively in every endeavor. Build the reclaimed landscape with (not for) the land’s users.
5. Work all spatial scales — regional, landscape, landform, element — simultaneously. 
6. Design for construction and operations. Landforms and landscapes should be easy to build and reclaim using available technology that is fit for purpose. Control the source of contaminants. Avoid producing soft tailings. 
7. Use a risk-based approach. Design for the most reliable or most likely case. Embrace the observational method and true adaptive management. Enact predetermined contingencies as needed to allow the evolving land to perform as intended.
8. Follow every drop of water through the landscape. Water is both a key to life and a great agent of disruption.
9. Know your materials. Cover and revegetate all mine waste. Ensure adequate borrow. Conserve soils.
10. Favour progressive reclamation. Learn by doing and document achievements. Ensure timely access to reclaimed land. Collaborate for progressive signoff. Minimize the work required after the last tonne of ore is mined and the mill shuts down.
11. Acknowledge the land will revert to the local community and support their duty of stewardship. Reclaim every square metre. Avoid unnecessary long-term care but anticipate where it will be required. Provide full financial assurance for all phases of mine life.
12. Share experiences locally and globally. Learn from failure and celebrate success.