Objective The implementation of the strategy for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin signifies a new phase of “systematic governance” in China’s ecological civilization efforts. Concurrently, numerous historical legacy issues make mine restoration an urgent priority. Building resilience, as the primary approach to addressing ecological risks and fostering inclusive growth, serves as an effective means to assess and resolve the complex challenges associated with the restoration of historical legacy mines (areas). This research aims to bridge this gap by investigating the relationship between ecological restoration strategies and system resilience under both acute and chronic disturbance, thereby enhancing decision-making for ecological restoration in key areas of the Yellow River Basin and to promote harmonious coexistence between humans and the Earth.

Methods This research uses system dynamics modelling to establish casual relationships between historical mine restoration and the individual subsystems of society, economy, and ecology. By analyzing sample data from Sanmenxia City from 2015 to 2022, including survey and statistical data, the research quantitatively evaluates the impact of three restoration modes — ecological reconstruction, assisted regeneration, and natural recovery — on the resilience of ecological, economic, and social subsystems. Based on relevant research and policy regulations, two scenarios — acute shock and chronic shock — are developed to identify optimal strategies for enhancing resilience in each subsystem. In addition, a policy intervention strategy — balanced synergistic development — is analyzed to assess its impact on subsystem resilience.

Results  1) ‌‌Restoration mode efficacy: Under acute and chronic disturbances, ecological reconstruction has the most significant positive impact on the resilience of all three subsystems (ecological, economic, and social subsystems), followed by assisted regeneration, while natural recovery has the weakest impact. It is believed that the greater the intensity of intervention, the greater the positive impact on system resilience. 2) ‌Policy intervention outcomes: Under chronic shock conditions, the strategy ranking from strongest to weakest ecological response capacity is balanced coordination > ecological reconstruction > no intervention. Under acute shock conditions, ecological resilience levels gradually decrease across the three strategies of ecological reconstruction, balanced coordination, and no intervention. The balanced coordination strategy demonstrates strong effects in enhancing resilience across all subsystems and is more likely to achieve a collaborative enhancement effect in composite system resilience. 3) ‌Temporal and scenario-specific optimization: In 2023, the Sanmenxia composite system barely achieved a coordinated state, highlighting the necessity of strengthening the coupling of the three subsystems to effectively implement the ecological restoration strategy for historical legacy mines (areas) and enhance the resilience of the composite system. The simulation results reveal that prior to 2027, the resilience of the composite system under the balanced coordination strategy is slightly higher than that of the ecological reconstruction model. However, starting from 2027, the ecological reconstruction model begins to outperform the balanced coordination strategy and maintains this advantage until 2035. This also underscores that ecological restoration should be based on the coordinated unity of the composite system, prioritizing economic development while also balancing ecological and social benefits, so as to achieve sustainable use of resources and promote sustainable development.

Conclusions This research provides a critical theoretical and practical link between ecological restoration of historical legacy mines (areas) and the resilience of the “ecological – economic – social” composite system. Key contributions include: A framework for quantifying resilience responses to restoration strategies, addressing a gap in existing resilience theory. Empirical validation confirms that ecological restoration is the most effective restoration mode for enhancing multi-dimensional resilience, particularly in highly disturbed contexts. Policy recommendations: Advocate selecting restoration strategies based on specific contexts — balancing development with restoration to achieve gradual system adaptation or intensive reconstruction to meet urgent restoration needs. These findings provide actionable guidance for policymakers to align restoration objectives with broader socio-ecological resilience goals, ultimately promoting sustainable post-mining regional development.