380 4. Permafrost degradation and foundation response. In permafrost regions, the effects of thawing ice-rich layers and changes in ground thermal regime on bearing capacity, settlement and leakage risks for dry-stacked facilities remain a major source of uncertainty over the full life cycle of a mine. 5. Circularity and life-cycle trade-offs. The net benefits of different combinations of dewatering technologies, energy sources and material reuse pathways have not been systematically assessed using life cycle assessment under cold-climate conditions, especially when future energy systems and climate trajectories are taken into account. 6. Operational practices and human factors. The influence of day-to-day operational strategies, workforce training and organizational culture on maintaining moisture, compaction and drainage within the desired windows under variable weather conditions is not yet well documented or codified in design guidelines. Addressing these gaps will require coordinated efforts between universities, research institutes, industry partners and regulators, supported by long-term monitoring programs and open sharing of performance data from operating dry-stacked facilities. 6.3 Towards a scoring and decision framework To support practical decision-making, there is a growing need for tools that translate complex climatic, geotechnical and hydrological information into transparent risk indicators. Building on existing frost susceptibility and seepage risk models, one promising direction is the development of a scoring framework for dry stacking in northern conditions. Such a framework could: • Combine site characteristics (climate zone, permafrost conditions, hydrology), tailings properties (fines content, plasticity, moisture window) and design features (drainage systems, geometries, covers) into composite indices of climate sensitivity and leakage risk. • Incorporate climate scenarios and THM simulation outputs to explore how scores evolve over time and under different design or operational options. • Provide a structured basis for comparing alternatives (for example, conventional thickened tailings vs filtered dry stacking) and for communicating risk and resilience aspects to regulators and stakeholders. Developing and testing such scoring tools, grounded in monitored case studies and transparent assumptions, would greatly support the scaling-up of climate-resilient dry stacking
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