Coal will still be an important part of the China′s energy structure in the future. The acid coal mine drainage (ACMD)containing high concentrations of sulfates produced during the coal mining process is the key to restricting its realization of high-quality, greenand sustainable development. ACMD is an important industrial pollution source of SO2-4 , primarily generated by the oxidation of sulfur containing ores after exposure. The formation mechanism and hazards of ACMD were reviewed and the technologies that could be used forsource prevention and subsequent treatment were analyzed. Adhering to the principle of " prevention is better than cure" , the comprehensive analysis was conducted on the technical characteristics of preventing sulfate production such as biocides, oxygen isolation and surfacepassivation. Many technologies are currently used in the subsequent treatment stage, including active remediation technologies suchas chemical precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange and membrane technology, and passive remediation technologies based on biologicaltreatment and constructed wetlands. Active remediation technology has problems such as the risk of secondary pollution and higher costs,while the widespread application of passive remediation technology is restricted due to the processing time and system stability. Due tothe considerable market of sulfuric acid in the chemical and metallurgical industries, recycling sulfuric acid from ACMD is a good resourceprospect. Current potential technologies for recovering sulfuric acid from ACMD include distillation, diffusion dialysis, electrodialysis, solvent extraction and crystallization. The technical and economic feasibility of each process for application in ACMD was evaluated. Finally,the future development prospects of sulfate prevention and resource recovery technologies in ACMD were emphasized, including conductingin-depth research on prevention technologies, reducing treatment costs, and developing new and stable treatment and recovery processes,providing new control strategies and broader research ideas for pollution control and waste recycling in the coal industry.