Unsustainable River Sand Mining: Morphodynamical Impacts, Monitoring Tools, and an Integrated Framework for Sustainable Management
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: River sand mining represents a direct and intensive form of human intervention into the sediment flow system. Unlike dams or bank protection works that mainly modify flow conditions, sand mining extracts the physical material that maintains channel stability, disturbing sediment balance and causing long-term riverbed lowering and bank erosion. In large basins, the problem becomes more serious when sediment supply is already reduced by upstream hydropower dams. The combined effect often creates sediment deficits, increasing the risk of channel instability and downstream impacts. This study presents a systematic synthesis of research published between 1995 and 2025, integrating existing approaches into three main methodological groups: (i) longterm statistical analysis, (ii) remote sensing combined with artificial intelligence for large-scale monitoring, and (iii) hydrodynamic-morphological modeling for process-based assessment. This study advances a mechanistic perspective that explicitly links sediment deficit to morpho-dynamic responses across spatial scales, from local scour development to basin-wide channel adjustment and delta degradation. A novel sediment balance-based framework is proposed that connects monitoring systems, system resilience, sediment dynamics, and management decisions within a unified causal structure. Unlike existing frameworks that are primarily descriptive or policyoriented, the proposed framework emphasizes process-based linkages between human interventions and river responses, providing a more explicit basis for risk assessment and adaptive management of sand mining activities. This work contributes to shifting river resource management from extraction-based approaches toward sediment balance-oriented strategies for sustainable river system governance.
Authors: Tran Thi Kim, Nguyen Dam Quoc Huy
Institution: Ho Chi Minh City University of Science
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,050
OpenAlex ID: W7223407362