Coupling Coordination Evaluation of Ecological Security in Coal Resource-Exhausted Villages

Although the exploitation of coal resources has driven regional economic growth, it has also inflicted considerable ecological damage. The sustainable development of ecological security in coal resource-exhausted villages is challenged by multiple pressures, states, and response requirements. Identifying potential risks and assessing the coupling coordination in these areas is a critical research topic for promoting their transformation and development. This study uses Jiawang District, a representative coal resource-exhausted village in China, as a case study to examine the evolution of ecological security at the rural scale from 2000 to 2021. It innovatively constructs a comprehensive evaluation model based on “resilience support—state characteristics—response mechanism” and integrates coupling coordination degree analysis with grey relational analysis to quantitatively reveal the spatio-temporal differentiation features and driving mechanisms of ecological security coupling coordination in coal resource-depleted rural areas. The findings indicate the following: (1) Between 2000 and 2021, the comprehensive ecological security index of coal resource-exhausted villages in Jiawang District exhibited a sustained upward trend; (2) The coupling coordination degree of six sampled villages across the district displayed a gradient distribution pattern characterized by “higher in the west and lower in the east, higher in the north and lower in the south”, with each unit achieving phased improvements in coordination levels; (3) Through grey relational analysis, key factors influencing the coupling coordination of coal resource-exhausted villages were identified across three dimensions—coupling coordination degree, the overall Jiawang region, and the rural scale. This study offers targeted policy recommendations for coal resource-exhausted villages at varying levels of coupling coordination.