Guizhou transforms mining scars into green assets

Guizhou, one of China's major mineral-rich provinces, is turning mine restoration into a driver of green development. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the province has restored more than 5,000 hectares of active mines and 5,300 hectares of legacy mines, with the remediation rate for legacy mines exceeding 97 percent.

Guizhou has established a comprehensive system covering regulation, funding, targeted restoration, and supervision, securing 26 billion yuan ($3.64 billion) in central fiscal support for major ecological restoration projects and introducing policies to attract social capital and encourage models that combine restoration with agriculture, tourism, and other industries.

The province has also adopted tailored approaches based on mine conditions, with different strategies for active and abandoned mines. In its karst landscapes, innovative technologies have helped stabilize soil and water and restore vegetation on steep slopes.

Digital tools, including satellite remote sensing, drones, and field inspections, are being used to monitor mine restoration alongside a provincial ecological restoration platform that enables dynamic tracking and closed-loop management.

Through these efforts, Guizhou is transforming damaged mining areas into greener landscapes while exploring new pathways for ecological protection and sustainable economic development.