Comprehensive evaluation of ecological security in mining area based on PSR-ANP-GRAY

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Resource Management
• Socio-economics

Background:

• Mineral resource exploitation poses ecological challenges in mining areas.
• Evaluating mining area ecological security is crucial for sustainable development.
• Existing assessment methods may not fully capture the complex interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a comprehensive ecological security evaluation index system for mining areas.
• To assess the ecological security status of a Chinese coal mine area from 2012-2016.
• To analyze trends and identify factors influencing ecological security in mining regions.

Main Methods:

• Developed an evaluation index system integrating nature, society, and economy.
• Applied the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework.
• Utilized Network Analytic Hierarchy Process (NAHP) and Gray Relational Analysis (GRA) for assessment.

Main Results:

• The overall ecological security in the coal mine area showed an upward trend from 2012 to 2016, with fluctuations.
• Ecological security was rated at a 'general security' level from 2012-2015.
• It improved to a 'relatively safe' level in 2016, indicating basic suitability for enterprise operations.

Conclusions:

• The integrated evaluation system effectively assesses mining area ecological security.
• The study highlights the dynamic nature of ecological security in response to mining activities.
• Findings suggest that ecological conditions in the studied mine can support ongoing enterprise survival and development.