Status and Development Trends of Coal Mining Subsidence Areas in China

Coal is the fundamental energy source and important industrial raw material in China. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, cumulative raw coal production has exceeded 96 billion tons, providing a reliable energy guarantee for national economic and social development. However, after long-term development, most of the coal-rich blocks in the eastern region have entered the later stages of exploitation, resulting in a severe and unsustainable situation. Coal mining can lead to the destruction of land resources and the deterioration of the ecological environment, damage groundwater resources, exacerbate supply shortages in water-scarce areas, and cause emissions of waste gases, thereby harming the atmospheric environment. The large-scale mining and utilization of coal resources have played a significant role in driving our country's economic development; however, coal mining subsidence has also created a series of negative impacts on the human living environment. The ecological restoration and management of subsided mining areas are directly related to the sustainable development of the economy, society, and ecological environment in mining regions, posing an urgent problem that needs to be addressed in our country. The National Medium- and Long-Term Plan for Scientific and Technological Development (2006–2020) and the "12th Five-Year Plan" both prioritize the development of ecological protection and restoration technologies in mining areas, advocating the development of green mining and promoting the restoration of mine geological environments and land reclamation in mining areas. Therefore, comprehensive management of coal mining subsidence areas and the restoration of the ecological environment in mining areas will become one of the main research topics for mine workers in China in the coming years.