China to Accelerate Mine Cleanup in Next 5 Years

China plans to significantly ramp up its mine remediation efforts during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, spanning from 2026 to 2030. This initiative builds upon substantial achievements made over the last five years, where the nation restored approximately 223,300 hectares of land previously occupied by historical mines, surpassing targets by nearly 20 percent.

The Ministry of Natural Resources has adopted an integrated approach, balancing natural and artificial restoration tailored to local conditions. This has allowed for the transformation of remediated land into farmland, forests, or grasslands, or for construction and conservation purposes. Major remediation drives have focused on the Yangtze and Yellow river basins, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program area.

Central government funding of 16.8 billion yuan ($2.4 billion) facilitated the remediation of over 18,000 abandoned mines in these key regions. This led to the elimination of nearly 7,000 geological hazard sites, the treatment of extensive areas of slopes and pits, and the creation of new farmland and increased forest and wetland coverage.

For the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, the ministry will launch a dedicated campaign to address remaining untreated abandoned mines. Simultaneously, efforts will be made to integrate land restoration with ongoing extraction at active mining sites. The Ministry of Finance will bolster financial support, with the central government committing to cover 60 percent of project costs, offering up to 300 million yuan per project.