China: coal mine impact on Yellow river upper basin – in pictures

Muli coalfield is illegally gobbling up a nature reserve, blasting away alpine meadows and destroying the ecosystem of the country’s second largest river, Greenpeace investigation shows

  • Aerial images of the Muli mining area on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, in China’s northwest Qinghai province. At an altitude of 4,100-4,300m, this plateau is the main source of the Datong river, the Shule river and the Buha river, which are important tributaries of the Yellow river
    Aerial images of the Muli mining area on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, in China's northwest Qinghai Province.

  • The area is covered in green alpine meadows, with the snow-capped Qinghai mountains in the background. Kingho Group’s opencast mines and excavations by other companies have destroyed the permafrost, wetlands and alpine meadows, damaging a pristine ecological environment. Photograph: Greenpeace
    Aerial images of the Muli mining area on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, in China's northwest Qinghai Province.

  • Brown, barren blown out tops are gradually eating into the green meadows as the coal mine expands. Photograph: Greenpeace
    2 July 2014 - Aerial images of the Muli mining area on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, in China's northwest Qinghai Province.

  • The huge amount of rock and soil dug up during the mining process forms man-made hills along the edge of this opencast coal mine in the Jiangcang mine area, owned by the Qinghai Coking Coal Group. The mine lies at 4,000m above sea level, 19 miles from Muli, in the Datong river basin. Photograph: Wu Haitao/Greenpeace
    The huge amount of rock and soil dug up during the mining process forms man-made hills along the edge of this opencast coal mine in the Jiangcang Mine Area, owned by the Qinghai Coking Coal Group. The Jiangcang Mine Area lies at 4000 m above sea level, 31 km from Muli, in the Datong River Basin.

  • The Datong river Basin, where the Jiangcang mine is located, has ample water sources, providing much of the Yellow river’s headwaters. Photograph: Wu Haitao/Greenpeace
    21 June 2014 - Qinghai - The Datong River Basin, where the Jiangcang Mine is located, has ample water sources, providing much of the Yellow River's headwaters.

  • The opencast coal mine in Muli run by the Kingho Group in Qinghai. Opencast mining turns green alpine meadows into large pits. Photograph: Wu Haitao/Greenpeace
    The opencast coal mine in Muli run by the Kingho energy group, 20 June 2014, Qinghai. Opencast mining results in large pits dug into green alpine meadows. ©Wu Haitao/Greenpeace

  • An aerial view of the Muli coal mine in Qinghai. Photograph: Wu Haitao/Greenpeace
    An opencast coal mine in Muli owned by the Kingho group, 21 June 2014 - Qinghai

  • Hills made of rock and soil dug up during mining spreads over to the green meadows in the Jiangcang mine area. Photograph: Wu Haitao/Greenpeace
    The huge amount of rock and soil dug up during the mining process forms man-made hills along the edge of this opencast coal mine in the Jiangcang Mine Area, owned by the Qinghai Coking Coal Group. The Jiangcang Mine Area lies at 4000 m above sea level, 31 km from Muli, in the Datong River Basin.

  • Vulnerable prairies damaged by overbearing opencast coal mines in Qinghai. Photograph: Wu Haitao/Greenpeace
    21 June 2014 - Qinghai - Beautiful and vulnerable prairies were damaged by overbearing opencast coal mines. ©Wu Haitao/Greenpeace

  • A panoramic view of the coal and chemical plant owned by the Kingho Group in Wulan county, Qinghai, surrounded by wetlands. Photograph: Wu Haitao/Greenpeace
    22 June 2014 - Qinghai - Panoramic view of the coal chemical plant owned by the Kingho in Wulan County, surrounded by wetlands.
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