Articles | Volume 9, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1323-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1323-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Sand mining far outpaces natural supply in a large alluvial river
Christopher R. Hackney
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
Grigorios Vasilopoulos
Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
Sokchhay Heng
Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Vasudha Darbari
Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
Samuel Walker
Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
Daniel R. Parsons
Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
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Cited
58 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Nation-wide mapping shows linkages between sand mining activities, human land use, and hydrology in Rwanda K. Huang et al.
- Managing exploitation of freshwater species and aggregates to protect and restore freshwater biodiversity S. Cooke et al.
- A century of channel morphological adjustments in the western Bengal Basin: insights from the Mayurakshi River in Eastern India A. Ghosh et al.
- Sand mining: Stopping the grind of unregulated supply chains S. Da & P. Le Billon
- Social ecology of artisanal sand mining in the Niger River around Bamako, Mali K. Hemmler et al.
- Economic value and environmental impact of Saddang River sand mining, Pinrang Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia A. Arsyad et al.
- Landscape evolution during Holocene transgression of a mid‐latitude low‐relief coastal plain: The southern North Sea S. Eaton et al.
- Monitoring riverine traffic from space: The untapped potential of remote sensing for measuring human footprint on inland waterways M. Smigaj et al.
- Assessment of coastal inundation triggered by multiple drivers in Ca Mau Peninsula, Vietnam H. Nghia Nguyen et al.
- A review of river sand mining: Methods, impacts, and implications I. Tripathi et al.
- Can restoring water and sediment fluxes across a mega-dam cascade alleviate a sinking river delta? S. Chua et al.
- Migrating sands: Refocusing transboundary flows from water to sediment C. Hackney
- Recurrence interval of riverbed sand mining hotspots in the Mekong delta: Potential indications of unsustainable replenishment rates R. Lau et al.
- Locating Sand B. Suykens et al.
- A technocultural pathway towards a new mineral coproduction paradigm: primary extraction of metal-rich minerals and ore-sands M. Ardhanari et al.
- Intensified susceptibility to riverbed incisions under sand mining impacts in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: A long-term spatiotemporal analysis M. Ahmed et al.
- What can stage curves tell us about water level changes? Case study of the Lower Mekong Basin S. Chua & X. Lu
- Earth’s sediment cycle during the Anthropocene J. Syvitski et al.
- Three decades of remote sensing applications in avian ecological studies in India: A review and future directions in avian monitoring A. Gautam et al.
- Drastic decline of flood pulse in the Cambodian floodplains (Mekong River and Tonle Sap system) S. Chua et al.
- Pride and prejudice of the anthropocene coasts D. Sengupta et al.
- Global coastal exposure patterns by coastal type from 1950 to 2050 B. Nyberg et al.
- A deep learning framework to map riverbed sand mining budgets in large tropical deltas S. Kumar et al.
- Hungry rivers—Insights from a sediment budget H. Barneveld et al.
- Sand-mining-driven reduction in Tonle Sap Lake’s critical flood pulse L. Quan et al.
- Climate Change Impacts on Soil Erosion and Sediment Delivery to German Federal Waterways: A Case Study of the Elbe Basin M. Uber et al.
- Detecting the three‐dimensional dynamics of post‐dam sandbars from Sentinel‐2 time‐series images: A case study in the lower Lancang–Mekong River X. Li et al.
- The transient sand frontier: Senegal's moving sand procurement strategies J. Rousseau
- Insights into mechanical and microstructural properties of seawater and sea-sand UHPC with different curing regimes X. Ji et al.
- Long-term sediment decline in the Mekong River along Thailand's border under hydropower development J. Laonamsai et al.
- Recent intensification of riverbed mining in the Mekong Delta revealed by extensive bathymetric surveying R. Lau et al.
- Sediment load crisis in the Mekong River Basin: Severe reductions over the decades S. Chua & X. Lu
- Life Cycle Assessment of River Sand and Aggregates Alternatives in Concrete L. Anh et al.
- Significant Human Modification of the Lower Arkansas River Sediment Budget H. Chen et al.
- A community group decomposition of the willingness to accept: evidence from sand, stone and gravel mining activities in Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra, Indonesia I. Idris et al.
- Sand mining across the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Catchment; assessment of activity and implications for sediment delivery A. Daham et al.
- Constructing the global sand crisis: Four reasons to interrogate crisis and scarcity in narrating extraction V. Lamb
- A model based on the evolutionary game theory for implementing green mining principles in riverine sand and gravel resources S. Mahdevari & A. Fazli Allah Abadi
- Applying deep learning for boat detection and numerical modeling to assess sand mining impacts on river morphology: A case study in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta T. Vu et al.
- Sustainable approaches in concrete production: An in-depth review of waste foundry sand utilization and environmental considerations V. Mehta
- Confined and mined: anthropogenic river modification as a driver of flood risk change L. Quick et al.
- An assessment of uncontrolled human interventions on the contemporary sediment budget and morphological alterations of the Vu Gia Thu Bon River basin, central Vietnam B. Nguyen et al.
- Sand mining in the Mekong Delta: Extent and compounded impacts E. Park
- Resilient rivers and connected marine systems: a review of mutual sustainability opportunities H. Hansen et al.
- Data, knowledge, and modeling challenges for science-informed management of river deltas R. Schmitt & P. Minderhoud
- From extraction to recovery: Geomorphic and social transformations of gravel mining, Lubha River, Northeast Bangladesh M. Chyon et al.
- “Local people want to keep their sand”: Variations in community perceptions and everyday resistance to sand mining across the Red River, Vietnam H. Runeckles et al.
- Quantifying the Suspended Sediment Dynamics and Morphological Impacts due to Sand Mining in the Narmada River, India V. Singh et al.
- Spatiotemporal morphodynamics of an ephemeral Himalayan River impacted by sand mining: A process-response framework M. Akuria & R. Sinha
- Evaluating Morphological Dynamics in the Krong No River under Anthropogenic Influences N. Hang et al.
- (In)visible fluidities across sandscapes: Sand dredging and local socio-environmental impacts along the Red and Mekong Rivers J. Rousseau & M. Marschke
- Southeast Asia's dynamic sand trade and the need for better data K. Yuen et al.
- Fingerprinting construction sand-supply networks for traceable sourcing Z. Sickmann et al.
- River Delta Changes and Anthropocene Y. SAITO
- Sediment Load Crisis in the Mekong River Basin: Severe Reductions Over the Decades S. Chua & X. Lu
- A Database for the Stocks and Flows of Sand and Gravel J. Morley et al.
- Towards sustainable governance of freshwater sand – A resource regime approach T. Yasmin et al.
- Can green concrete help address the sand and aggregate crisis? A scoping literature review J. Rousseau et al.
58 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Nation-wide mapping shows linkages between sand mining activities, human land use, and hydrology in Rwanda K. Huang et al.
- Managing exploitation of freshwater species and aggregates to protect and restore freshwater biodiversity S. Cooke et al.
- A century of channel morphological adjustments in the western Bengal Basin: insights from the Mayurakshi River in Eastern India A. Ghosh et al.
- Sand mining: Stopping the grind of unregulated supply chains S. Da & P. Le Billon
- Social ecology of artisanal sand mining in the Niger River around Bamako, Mali K. Hemmler et al.
- Economic value and environmental impact of Saddang River sand mining, Pinrang Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia A. Arsyad et al.
- Landscape evolution during Holocene transgression of a mid‐latitude low‐relief coastal plain: The southern North Sea S. Eaton et al.
- Monitoring riverine traffic from space: The untapped potential of remote sensing for measuring human footprint on inland waterways M. Smigaj et al.
- Assessment of coastal inundation triggered by multiple drivers in Ca Mau Peninsula, Vietnam H. Nghia Nguyen et al.
- A review of river sand mining: Methods, impacts, and implications I. Tripathi et al.
- Can restoring water and sediment fluxes across a mega-dam cascade alleviate a sinking river delta? S. Chua et al.
- Migrating sands: Refocusing transboundary flows from water to sediment C. Hackney
- Recurrence interval of riverbed sand mining hotspots in the Mekong delta: Potential indications of unsustainable replenishment rates R. Lau et al.
- Locating Sand B. Suykens et al.
- A technocultural pathway towards a new mineral coproduction paradigm: primary extraction of metal-rich minerals and ore-sands M. Ardhanari et al.
- Intensified susceptibility to riverbed incisions under sand mining impacts in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: A long-term spatiotemporal analysis M. Ahmed et al.
- What can stage curves tell us about water level changes? Case study of the Lower Mekong Basin S. Chua & X. Lu
- Earth’s sediment cycle during the Anthropocene J. Syvitski et al.
- Three decades of remote sensing applications in avian ecological studies in India: A review and future directions in avian monitoring A. Gautam et al.
- Drastic decline of flood pulse in the Cambodian floodplains (Mekong River and Tonle Sap system) S. Chua et al.
- Pride and prejudice of the anthropocene coasts D. Sengupta et al.
- Global coastal exposure patterns by coastal type from 1950 to 2050 B. Nyberg et al.
- A deep learning framework to map riverbed sand mining budgets in large tropical deltas S. Kumar et al.
- Hungry rivers—Insights from a sediment budget H. Barneveld et al.
- Sand-mining-driven reduction in Tonle Sap Lake’s critical flood pulse L. Quan et al.
- Climate Change Impacts on Soil Erosion and Sediment Delivery to German Federal Waterways: A Case Study of the Elbe Basin M. Uber et al.
- Detecting the three‐dimensional dynamics of post‐dam sandbars from Sentinel‐2 time‐series images: A case study in the lower Lancang–Mekong River X. Li et al.
- The transient sand frontier: Senegal's moving sand procurement strategies J. Rousseau
- Insights into mechanical and microstructural properties of seawater and sea-sand UHPC with different curing regimes X. Ji et al.
- Long-term sediment decline in the Mekong River along Thailand's border under hydropower development J. Laonamsai et al.
- Recent intensification of riverbed mining in the Mekong Delta revealed by extensive bathymetric surveying R. Lau et al.
- Sediment load crisis in the Mekong River Basin: Severe reductions over the decades S. Chua & X. Lu
- Life Cycle Assessment of River Sand and Aggregates Alternatives in Concrete L. Anh et al.
- Significant Human Modification of the Lower Arkansas River Sediment Budget H. Chen et al.
- A community group decomposition of the willingness to accept: evidence from sand, stone and gravel mining activities in Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra, Indonesia I. Idris et al.
- Sand mining across the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Catchment; assessment of activity and implications for sediment delivery A. Daham et al.
- Constructing the global sand crisis: Four reasons to interrogate crisis and scarcity in narrating extraction V. Lamb
- A model based on the evolutionary game theory for implementing green mining principles in riverine sand and gravel resources S. Mahdevari & A. Fazli Allah Abadi
- Applying deep learning for boat detection and numerical modeling to assess sand mining impacts on river morphology: A case study in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta T. Vu et al.
- Sustainable approaches in concrete production: An in-depth review of waste foundry sand utilization and environmental considerations V. Mehta
- Confined and mined: anthropogenic river modification as a driver of flood risk change L. Quick et al.
- An assessment of uncontrolled human interventions on the contemporary sediment budget and morphological alterations of the Vu Gia Thu Bon River basin, central Vietnam B. Nguyen et al.
- Sand mining in the Mekong Delta: Extent and compounded impacts E. Park
- Resilient rivers and connected marine systems: a review of mutual sustainability opportunities H. Hansen et al.
- Data, knowledge, and modeling challenges for science-informed management of river deltas R. Schmitt & P. Minderhoud
- From extraction to recovery: Geomorphic and social transformations of gravel mining, Lubha River, Northeast Bangladesh M. Chyon et al.
- “Local people want to keep their sand”: Variations in community perceptions and everyday resistance to sand mining across the Red River, Vietnam H. Runeckles et al.
- Quantifying the Suspended Sediment Dynamics and Morphological Impacts due to Sand Mining in the Narmada River, India V. Singh et al.
- Spatiotemporal morphodynamics of an ephemeral Himalayan River impacted by sand mining: A process-response framework M. Akuria & R. Sinha
- Evaluating Morphological Dynamics in the Krong No River under Anthropogenic Influences N. Hang et al.
- (In)visible fluidities across sandscapes: Sand dredging and local socio-environmental impacts along the Red and Mekong Rivers J. Rousseau & M. Marschke
- Southeast Asia's dynamic sand trade and the need for better data K. Yuen et al.
- Fingerprinting construction sand-supply networks for traceable sourcing Z. Sickmann et al.
- River Delta Changes and Anthropocene Y. SAITO
- Sediment Load Crisis in the Mekong River Basin: Severe Reductions Over the Decades S. Chua & X. Lu
- A Database for the Stocks and Flows of Sand and Gravel J. Morley et al.
- Towards sustainable governance of freshwater sand – A resource regime approach T. Yasmin et al.
- Can green concrete help address the sand and aggregate crisis? A scoping literature review J. Rousseau et al.
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 14 May 2026
Short summary
Unsustainable sand mining poses a threat to the stability of river channels. We use satellite imagery to estimate volumes of material removed from the Mekong River, Cambodia, over the period 2016–2020. We demonstrate that current rates of extraction now exceed previous estimates for the entire Mekong Basin and significantly exceed the volume of sand naturally transported by the river. Our work highlights the importance of satellite imagery in monitoring sand mining activity over large areas.
Unsustainable sand mining poses a threat to the stability of river channels. We use satellite...