From our correspondent — Recently, the on-site acceptance meeting for the 14th Five-Year National Key R&D Program project “Technologies for Regional Ecological Protection and Comprehensive Resource Utilization in Coal Energy Bases of Arid Western China”, led by the University, was held in Kuqa, Xinjiang. On September 23–24, an expert panel including Researcher Li Xiubin from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS; Researcher Wang Kelin from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, CAS; Professor Liu Jiangong from Hebei University of Engineering; Professor Feng Gu from China Agricultural University; Researcher Cong Richun from the Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry; Senior Engineer Li Shengyu from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS; and Professor Liu Honglin from Xinjiang University carried out comprehensive evaluation and on-site verification of the project’s research outcomes. Ma Hao, Project Manager, and Associate Researcher Zhang Jing from the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21 participated in the meeting online. More than 50 people, including participating experts, project principals and core researchers, attended the meeting.

The expert panel visited the demonstration site at the Yushuquan coal mining subsidence area in Kuqa, Xinjiang, to inspect the integrated demonstration of key ecological restoration technologies on location. The on-site demonstration achieved remarkable results, effectively improving soil structure and increasing vegetation coverage in the mining area. The restoration technologies and concepts won unanimous recognition from experts. The technologies can be widely applied in arid Gobi desert coal mining areas to achieve the dual goals of ecological protection and comprehensive resource utilization.

Professor Bi Yinli, Executive Director of the State Key Laboratory of Coal Fine Exploration and Intelligent Development and Project Principal Investigator, introduced the overall progress of the project and delivered a detailed report on the “Demonstration of Ecological Protection and Comprehensive Resource Utilization in Wind-eroded and Desertified Coal Energy Bases in Arid Western China (Kubai Model)”. Each sub-task team reported in detail on the construction and application outcomes of demonstration sites including the Zhundong open-pit dump, Muli in Qinghai, Wuhai in Inner Mongolia and Caojiatan in Shaanxi.

Following presentations of demonstration results, on-site demonstrations, expert inquiries and discussions, the expert panel unanimously concluded that the demonstrations fulfilled the project objectives and all assessment indicators specified in the project task book with complete and reliable data and outstanding demonstration effects, and approved the on-site acceptance. On behalf of the research team, Professor Bi Yinli expressed gratitude to the leaders and experts for their support. The team will further optimize the technical system, accelerate large-scale promotion and application of ecological restoration and comprehensive resource utilization technologies, and strive to advance ecological restoration technologies for arid and semi-arid mining areas in western China and safeguard national energy and ecological security.