Abstract: 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.