Research On Governance Of Shanxi Coal Mining Subsidence

The intensity of energy resources, especially coal resources, becomes higher and the risk of collapse in goafs becomes increasingly severe. Serving as an important base in China for a long time, Shanxi has provided an important energy support for the sound and rapid development of national economy. However, Shanxi has to face a series of increasingly severe ecological environment problems at the same time, including land subsidence, geological disasters, water resource destruction, ecological fragmentation and so on.To solve the serious issues which endanger the life safety and order of people in the coal mining subsidence, the government has launched a governing project of original state-owned key coal mining subsidence. Promoted by national policies and supported by funds, the project achieved remarkable results. Yet Shanxi used to experience a time during which a huge number of non-key state-owned coal mines, local coal mines as well as township coal mines coexist. Due to their large quantity, small scale and weak strength, the coal mining subsidence caused then did not receive correspondingly proper governance. Afterwards, as these coal mines were merged, reconstructed and integrated, many original coal mine management entities become destroyed or extinct. As a consequence, an extremely severe issue of coal mining subsidence governance remained since then.This paper researches the governance of coal mining subsidence in Shanxi and focus on the problems caused by non-key and local coal mines. The paper first introduces the current status of coal resource distribution and exploitation within Shanxi Province, and then describes the general distribution and characteristics of coal mining subsidence at present. Afterwards it analyzes the cause and main harm of the coal mining subsidence. The paper also predicts and assesses the possible loss it may cause. Based on the actual situation in Shanxi, this paper evaluates and summarizes the governing polices and practice of coal mining subsidence in key state-owned coal mines after sorting China’s governing policies and evolution of coal mining subsidence. Finally, this paper explores the suggestions of policies in governance of non-key and local coal mining subsidence by referring to the governing experience and examples of coal mining subsidence in the world, which is to provide policy advice and consultant support for deepening the governance in coal mining subsidence all over Shanxi Province.