shendong mining area is located at the junction of the three provinces of inner mongolia, shaanxi, and shanxi, in the transitional zone between the loess plateau hills and gullies and the maowusu desert. it belongs to the sandy and coarse-sand area of the middle reaches of the yellow river, with a fragile ecological environment. the climate in the mining area is dry with little rainfall, leading to severe soil erosion. the mining wells face challenges such as water scarcity, poor water quality, and lack of diverse uses. confronting the prominent contradiction between coal mining and water resource protection, shendong carefully manage and utilize water resources. in regions where coal is abundant and water resources are scarce, they vigorously implement water resource protection, governance, and utilization projects.
in the desalination workshop of the bulianta coal mine, the equipment is processing the water from the bulianta and shangwan coal mine wells. this site serves as a demonstration point for shendong's water resource protection and utilization.
"after treatment, the fluoride, chloride, and sulfate content are much lower than the standards for surface water. the total dissolved solids are far below the standards for agricultural irrigation. additionally, by recycling and utilizing by-products, the goal of zero wastewater discharge is achieved," explains a workshop staff member.
with the implementation of new projects like the "bulianta subsidence area 'three waters' collaborative protection and utilization project," shendong is accelerating comprehensive control of soil erosion in the mining area, integrating "small watersheds " with rural revitalization and characteristic industries. they are building shendong mining area's unique brand in soil conservation, promoting efficient and intensive use of water resources, and safeguarding the yellow river year after year.
transformation of coal subsidence areas into ecological scenic areas
the "scenic area" beloved by residents in the mining area is the national first integrated protection and systematically managed ecological demonstration base, showcasing the integration of "mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, grasses, and sands" in coal subsidence areas. it is the most typical, systematic, and comprehensive ecological demonstration base in shendong.
based on the 72 square kilometers well field and ecological governance of the coal subsidence area of the haragou coal mine, the base focuses on overall land comprehensive improvement, building economic forests of sea buckthorn, and industrial development. the ecological comprehensive management of the "mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, grasses, and sands" of the mine is the main content. it follows the theme of "green, technology, and humanities" and emphasizes constructing 5 corridors, 10 parks, and 100 demonstration points. currently, 20 square kilometers of seabuckthorn and a 7-square-kilometer comprehensive demonstration area have been completed. by the end of 2021, the base was recognized as a 3a tourist attraction by the country, and in 2023, it was awarded the title of "national coal industry science popularization education base."
this year, following the coal subsidence zone governance plan, shendong continues to optimize the spatial pattern of production, life, and ecology in the project area. they increase the quantity and quality of cultivated land, promote intensive and efficient land use, advance rural greening and beautification, improve living environments, and boost villagers' income.
thousands of acres of barren hills release eco-friendly development momentum
the buertai ecological demonstration base is based on the 219 square kilometers well field and ecological governance of the buertai coal mine, cuntaota coal mine, and cuntaota second mine. the main content includes an ecological photovoltaic zone, an ecological economic forest zone, a modern agricultural park zone, and a zero-carbon industrial park zone. the focus is on constructing 3 corridors and 6 zones. currently, 100,000 acres of ecological forests and 500,000 kilowatts of photovoltaics have been completed. the vegetation coverage has increased from 19% to 65%, with over 100 plant species under the photovoltaic panels, including high-protein feed such as mulberry, seabuckthorn, and alfalfa. the construction of the base was included in the "2022 central enterprise green low-carbon practice case collection" by the state-owned assets supervision and administration commission.
the innovation in shendong involves developing the "ecological governance photovoltaic industry ecological industry" development model for coal subsidence areas. they open up channels for reusing idle land, jointly building a demonstration base with the local government covering 40,000 acres of ecological governance, 500,000 kilowatts of photovoltaic power generation, and 10,000 acres of pasture. this base generates approximately 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and produces about 10,000 tons of forage.
exploring the model of ecological protection and ecological industry, the people of shendong are not stopping. yang liping, the manager of the ecological engineering project department of the ecological environment management center, says, "we also plan to implement tourism agriculture, modern breeding, seabuckthorn and willow supporting industries, forming a modern and efficient integrated economic system. we aim to achieve the coordinated development of ecological, economic, and social benefits, and build a 15,000-square-meter daylight greenhouse to supply organic vegetables for 20,000 employees."