CHINA'S TOP COAL PRODUCER

Inner Mongolia, bordering Mongolia to the north and covering 12 percent of China's total land area, also holds the country's largest coal reserves, or 741.4 billion metric tons.

The region's coal output reached 787 million metric tons last year, replacing Shanxi Province as the country's top coal producer. Inner Mongolia's coal output is expected to hit 850 million metric tons this year, industry figures show.

According to the National Energy Administration's 12th five-year plan for the coal mining industry, Inner Mongolia will take the lead in opening new mines, especially large open-air mines, from 2011 to 2015.

The mining industry plan, which is still under deliberation, states that Inner Mongolia should raise its annual coal output by 130 million metric tons, or about 26 percent of the country's total increased capacity, by 2015.

However, environmentalists say that the region serves as a natural barrier to prevent sandstorms and desertification from spreading across northern China. Local residents fear that the region will become a desert after the implementation of the new mining industry plan.

Currently, about 1.7 million square kilometers of territory in western China, or 17.7 percent of the country's total land area, is covered by deserts.

Experts say the desertification is caused by the overuse of limited water resources.

Regional coal mining authorities ordered a month-long overhaul in late May for the area's coal mines. The overhaul is intended to curb environmental damage, limit the impact of the mines on local residents and eliminate violations of safety rules.