Sustainable development of manganese resources in sichuan: an integrated assessment system based on exploitability-ecology-geology triaxial framework

Manganese, as a strategic critical mineral resource, exhibits an uneven global distribution, with significant deposits concentrated in Sichuan Province across two distinct geological units: the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau tectonic unit in western Sichuan (plateau region) and the Sichuan Basin in eastern Sichuan (basin region). These two regions demonstrate substantial disparities in metallogenic settings, resource endowments, and development conditions; however, existing studies lack systematic comparative analyses and fail to adequately balance ecological preservation with economic development priorities in this context. To address this gap, we developed a tripartite analytical framework integrating exploitability, ecological, and geological conditions. This framework employs the entropy-weighting method and the InVEST model to quantitatively assess and compare the development potential of the western plateau and eastern basin regions. Building on this analysis, this research diagnoses the spatial mismatch between manganese resource distribution and development potential in Sichuan, formulates tailored strategies for its plateau and basin regions, and offers a generalizable triaxial assessment framework to guide sustainable resource development across diverse regions. The findings provide valuable insights into achieving synergy between resource exploitation and ecological protection, with important implications for the sustainable development of mineral resources in ecologically vulnerable regions worldwide.