RETHINKING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL SPACE THROUGH THE IMPACTS OF INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY: A CASE STUDY OF PETROSANI MINING BASIN (HUNEDOARA COUNTY, ROMANIA)

The Petrosani coal-mining basin is one of the oldest in Romania. Over time, mining activity has damaged the natural environment in rural areas. Also, the mining industry has led to increased urbanization. The environmental problems in the Petrosani basin should be strategically viewed as a challenge to implement the short term measures to reclaim the land impacted by mining so as to reintegrate them into economic circuits. The purpose of the study is to highlight the environmental issues related to extractive industry. The environmental problems in the Petrosani mining basin were investigated using several indicators (the environment transformation index, the naturality index). The authors also propose several land reclamation measures in order to support the sustainable development of rural space in the Petrosani mining basin.