Abstract: The destruction of groundwater resource caused by coal mining is a key problem to be solved in order to realize the green development of coal industry and the establishment of ecological civilization in the mining areas of China. This paper studies the current protection and utilizationsituation of groundwater in coal mines by means of investigation, statistical analysis and expert consultation, and puts forward the development strategy and engineering technologies for the protection and utilization of groundwater in coal mines. The results show that the average water yield coefficient with mining is 1.87 m3/t, and the production of groundwater in coal mines is about 6.88×109 m3 every year.However, the average utilization rate is only about 35%.According to the prediction of the development trend of coal production, the production of groundwater in coal mines can be stable at 6.0×109 m3 every year before 2035, and it will be a long term stable unconventional water resource in China, and has great economic and social benefits to realize the efficient utilization of the groundwater in coal mines. The paper puts forward the overall goal that by 2025, 2030 and 2035, the utilization rate of groundwater in coal mines will reach 55%, 70% and 80% respectively. Also, the paper analyzes the development history and trend of the technologiesfor protecting and utilizing groundwater, and puts forward the development model of engineering technologies,which is“2+5+5+3”.That is to master two basic theories of “the development law of overburden fracture zone and groundwater migration mechanism with mining” and “the chemical coupling mechanism of groundwater and rock”, achieve a breakthrough in five key technologies, such as “the precise detection technology of groundwater occurrence”,“the construction and operation technology of underground reservoir group in coal mines”,“the filling technology, materials and equipment of mining”,“the large scale and low cost treatment technology for high salinity groundwater in coal mines”, and “the precise treatment technology of groundwater containing special components”,establish five demonstration areas, including “the technical demonstration area of underground reservoir of coal mines in the border area of eastern Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi”,“the high salinity mine water treatment and utilization demonstration area in eastern Ningxia and Hami city of Xinjiang Province”,“the demonstration area of technology to protect and utilize groundwater in eastern grassland of Neimenggu”,“the water resources protection demonstration area through filling with mining in north China plain”, and “the water resources of abandoned mines utilization demonstration area in Huainan and Huaibei”. With the application of technologies and measures above, three major technical goals will be achieved by 2035 including the water storage scale of underground reservoir in coal mine will reach 5.0×108 m3, the filling with mining technology cost will be reduced by 50%,and the zero emission of high salinity groundwater cost will be reduced by 50%. The paper also puts forward policy suggestions and measures for the efficient utilization of groundwater produced by mining.