Research on the current status and countermeasures of coal mine water protection and utilization in western China

As for the core contradiction between the inverse distribution of coal resources and water resources in China, this paper focuses on the critical challenges in resource-oriented utilization of mine water within western mining areas. This paper conducts a systematic study on integrating policy framework, technological pathways, and implementation mechanisms for mine water protection and utilization. By integrating bibliometric analysis, policy text mining, case studies, and multidimensional data triangulation, this paper systematically investigates the spatial distribution of coal production capacity and the status of mine water protection and utilization in western China through system analysis, comparative analysis, and field investigations. A “policy-technology-economy” tripartite evaluation framework is established. The research results indicate that: The four provinces in China’s western region—Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang—hold 73.80% of the nation’s coal reserves, yet the total water resources account for only 7.90% of the national total, resulting in a prominent coal-water conflict. Mine water inflow in the Yellow River basin amounts to approximately 6.5 billion cubic meters, with a comprehensive utilization rate below 45%. The current policy framework is plagued by institutional deficiencies, including the absence of water quality standards, inadequate fiscal incentives, and underdeveloped market mechanisms. The technical framework exhibits prominent bottlenecks, including insufficient standardization of mine water protection protocols, restricted adoption of advanced treatment technologies, and sub-optimal economic feasibility in existing purification systems. Based on the existing problems of mine water protection and utilization, this paper proposes a synergistic solution of “policy-economy-technology”, with the following conclusions. Policy interventions need to establish a tiered standardization framework for mine water utilization, optimize fiscal incentive structures, develop water rights trading mechanisms, and strengthen compliance oversight through smart monitoring platforms. In the field of mine water protection technologies, it is proposed to intensify the promotion of “blocking-interception methods” and “guided storage-utilization systems”, technological bottlenecks in mine water protection will be overcome by leveraging the major national R&D program “2030 - Coal Clean and Efficient Utilization”. In the field of mine water treatment technologies, it is proposed to promote renewable energy-powered systems and in-situ underground treatment technologies, develop high-salinity wastewater resource recovery technologies, establish a quality-graded utilization system, and construct integrated pipeline networks with smart coordinated regulation systems. The research outcomes have established a theoretical foundation and formulated actionable technological road maps, offering breakthrough solutions to the coal-water nexus challenges in western mining areas and propelling the advancement of green coal exploitation practices.