Land reclamation strategies for former coal mining areas: A bibliometric analysis of global research trends (2000-2024)

The coal mining industry makes a significant contribution to the global economy, but the environmental impacts of these activities demand special attention in efforts to reclaim former mining lands. This research aims to analyze global research trends related to coal mine land reclamation strategies from 2000 to 2024 using a bibliometric approach. By analyzing 367 documents from the Scopus database, this study identifies publication trends, thematic clusters, key contributors, and international collaboration networks using VOSviewer software. The results reveal that environmental science dominates this field (28.1%), reflecting a strong focus on ecological restoration and environmental monitoring. Countries such as Australia, China, and the United States emerge as major contributors, with the highest publication output and citation impact. Australia, in particular, demonstrates the highest citation efficiency, highlighting the quality of its research. This analysis shows a transition in research focus from technical reclamation methods to more holistic ecological approaches. Key themes include revegetation, bioremediation, soil restoration, and sustainability. Institutions from Australia, China, and Europe, particularly the University of Queensland and China University of Mining and Technology, play important roles in advancing interdisciplinary collaboration. This study underscores the importance of integrating ecological, technological, and socioeconomic considerations in reclamation strategies and highlights the need for adaptive approaches tailored to local conditions. These findings offer valuable insights for future research and policy development, promoting effective and sustainable reclamation practices that contribute to long-term environmental recovery in coal mining areas.