China's Traditional Approach to Land Supply Hinders Sustainable Use in Mining Operations

China's traditional method of providing land for mining operations has hindered the sustainable use of land resources, resulting in extensive land degradation and idleness after mining activities conclude. A new study from Peking University highlights the implementation of reforms to the temporary land supply model for open-pit coal mining operations. The research used the Anjialing open-pit coal mine pilot project in Shanxi Province, China, to construct a comprehensive lifecycle model for temporary mining land use, evaluating land reclamation and proposing a land management model for future pilot mines.

Key Takeaways:

• The traditional approach to supplying land for mining operations in China hinders the sustainable use of land resources, leading to extensive land degradation and idleness after mining activities conclude.
• The Anjialing open-pit coal mine pilot project in Shanxi Province, China, was used as a case example to construct a comprehensive lifecycle model for temporary mining land use.
• The study found that the larger the initial mining area, the lower the strip ratio and coal extraction rate, and the longer the overall duration of temporary land use in pilot mining projects under construction.
• The land use cycle for the Anjialing open-pit coal mine is approximately 7 to 10 years, making it impossible to complete mining operations and return the land after reclamation within five years.
• The pilot project for temporary mining land use failed to pass the required acceptance inspection.
• The new model promotes the critical mission of safeguarding national farmland and ensuring food security, and holds significant implications for future resource extraction and sustainable land utilization.
• The study proposes a land management model for future pilot mines establishing new temporary mining sites.

Statistics:

• The land use cycle for the Anjialing open-pit coal mine is approximately 7 to 10 years.
• The strip ratio and coal extraction rate in pilot projects under construction decrease as the initial mining area increases.
• By the end of 2020, the coal mine reclamation area barely reached the boundaries of the 2012 temporary land use plan.
• The failure rate of the pilot project for temporary mining land use was 100% due to inability to complete mining operations and return the land after reclamation within five years.

Sources:

• Research on the Construction of Applicable Models for Temporary Land Use in Open-Pit Coal Mining and Implementation Models for Land Reclamation in China. Land, 2025,14(9):1819.
• NewsRx. Study Findings on Landscape Ecology Discussed by Researchers at Peking University (Research on the Construction of Applicable Models for Temporary Land Use in Open-Pit Coal Mining and Implementation Models for Land Reclamation in China). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. October 17, 2025; p 692.