Abstract: The northern sand prevention belt is a key area for combating sandification and desertification in China. This region is characterized by arid conditions, water scarcity, barren soil, severe desertification, and salinization, with prominent conflicts between open-pit mining and ecological conservation. Taking the large-scale open-pit mining areas in Inner Mongolia, which have the largest area and production capacity in the northern sand prevention belt, as the research object, this study adhered to the systematic engineering concept of addressing both symptoms and root causes. Following the research framework of "damage-reduction mining → three-dimensional water conservation → soil construction and activation → systematic restoration → integrated supervision" this study adopted a whole-chain integrated technical route of ''theoretical research → technology development → equipment development → integrated demonstration → promotion and application''. Key scientific issues in large-scale open-pit mining areas of the northern sand prevention belt were analyzed, including ecological degradation mechanism, damage-reduction mining mechanism, and ecological self-maintenance mechanism. A technical system was developed and established for ecological damage reduction, protection, and restoration in these mining areas. The research results will contribute to achieving damage-reduction mining, scientific restoration, precise management and control, and self-maintenance of ecosystems in large-scale open-pit mining areas, as well as constructing ecological protection-oriented coal bases and an important ecological security barrier in northern China.