我国西部生态脆弱区采煤引起的水资源破坏和地质环境变化，已经严重制约了矿区经济、社会、环境的可持续发展。通过梳理保水采煤、煤矿区地质环境承载力的研究进展，结合目前西部富煤缺水地区的地质环境现状，提出了基于保水采煤理念的地质环境承载力内涵及基本研究思路和框架。分析认为:基于保水采煤理念的地质环境承载力研究，应将保水采煤理念与地质环境承载力理论有机融合，系统分析“采煤活动—水资源破坏—地质环境效应”作用机理，从寻求煤炭开采、水资源保护、地表生态环境保护3者之间的最优解中阐述内涵。地质环境承载力评价方法研究，可采用属性分析、生态需求分析、数值分析、突变理论等方法，重点研究评价指标的量化方法、综合评价方法、承载能力及承载状态等级划分方法。对于承载能力的计算，可采用模拟实验，取得典型煤矿区承载能力下地质环境与开采强度临界值的关系数据，进而提取出控制和减轻煤矿区地质环境问题的保水采煤技术方法，确定合理的开采强度和规模。在承载力评价和计算的基础上，提出地质环境承载力影响因素的协同监测技术方法，并给出了承载力预警等级判定标准。所提出的基于保水采煤理念的地质环境承载力内涵及基本研究思路，以期丰富和发展保水采煤及地质环境承载力的科学内涵，为西部生态环境脆弱区煤炭资源开发与水资源保护协调发展提供理论与技术支持。

Water resources destruction and geological environment changes caused by mining in ecologically fragile ar- eas of western China have seriously restricted the sustainable development of economy,society and environment in mining areas. Through reviewing the research progress of water-preserved coal mining and carrying capacity of geolog- ical environment in coal mining areas,and combining with the current situation of geological environment in western China rich in coal and short of water,the research framework of carrying capacity of geological environment based on the concept of water-preserved coal mining is proposed. It is considered that the function mechanism of “ coal mining activity-water resource destruction-geological environment effect” should be systematically analyzed by combining the concept of water-preserved coal mining with the theory of carrying capacity of geological environment. The methods of attribute analysis,ecological demand analysis,numerical analysis and catastrophe theory should be used in studying the carrying capacity of geological environment. In particular,the quantitative method,comprehensive evaluation method and the classification method of carrying status and carrying capacity of geological environment should be investigated. By means of simulation experiment,the relationship data between the geological environment and the critical value of mining intensity under the carrying capacity of typical coal mine area are obtained. Then the technological method of coal mining under water-containing for controlling and alleviating the geological environment problems in coal mine ar- ea is extracted to determine the reasonable mining intensity and scale. On the basis of the research of carrying capaci- ty,this paper put forward the collaborative monitoring method for the influencing factors of carrying capacity of geolog- ical environment,and the criterion of bearing capacity early warning grade of carrying capacity. The connotation and basic research ideas of geological environmental carrying capacity based on the concept of water-preserved coal mining will enrich the scientific connotation of water-preserved coal mining and geological environmental carrying capacity, and provide a theoretical and technical support for the coordinated development of coal resources and water resources protection in the fragile ecological environment areas of western China.