Research on the Sustainable Indicator System for Multi-Coal Seam Mining: A Case Study of the Buertai Coal Mine in China

The extraction of multiple coal seams not only increases the risk of water inrush disasters in mines but also exacerbates the long-term depletion of groundwater, posing challenges for sustainable resource management in ecologically sensitive areas. This study utilizes the plastic damage–permeability coupling model in Abaqus CAE to analyze the impact of coal seam thickness and pillar layout on the evolution of the plastic zone and groundwater loss in the Shen Dong mining area, specifically at the Buertai coal mine. The results indicate that coal seam thickness is a strong driving factor for aquifer depletion: the water inflow under a 10 m thick coal seam is 1.56 times that under a 4 m thick coal seam. In contrast, the optimized staggered pillar layout alters stress distribution and reduces the water inflow under deeper coal seams by approximately 38%, demonstrating excellent water-saving potential. To translate these findings into a sustainability framework, this study proposes three new indicators: the Groundwater Loss Index (GLI) to quantify depletion intensity, the Aquifer Protection Efficiency (APE) to assess protection benefits, and the Sustainability Trade-off Index (STI) to balance coal recovery, safety, and groundwater protection. These metrics establish a dual-objective optimization approach that ensures safe mining and the sustainability of the aquifer. This study provides practical benchmarks for environmental impact assessment and aligns with the global sustainable development agenda, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals concerning clean water (SDG 6), responsible consumption (SDG 12), and terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15). By incorporating groundwater protection into the design of the Buertai coal mine, this study advances the transition of multi-seam mining at Buertai from disaster prevention to sustainability orientation.