River Sand and Gravel Mining: Striking a Balance between Ecology and Economy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55863/ijees.2025.0607Keywords:
River sedements, Sand mining, EIA, Ecological impacts, Hydrogical impacts, Policies, Socio-economic impactsAbstract
Sediments (sand and gravel) in rivers are integral to riverine ecosystems and a valuable human economic resource. Abstraction of sediments from rivers should be guided primarily by striking a balance between maintaining the ecological integrity of rivers and the need for economic development. Sediments must be abstracted judiciously and planned, based on a quantitative assessment of sediment dynamics of different kinds of rivers and the seasonal and inter-annual variation. Allocations for abstraction should be made based on the availability of sediments replenished every year by the river at various locations and a comprehensive cumulative EIA of the abstraction. Technologies such as drones can be used to map and monitor the extent of sediment deposits with the help of existing institutions.
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