A/P Edward Park Featured in Nature on the Environmental Impact of Sand Mining

Associate Professor Edward Park from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NIE NTU, Singapore), has been featured in Nature for his expertise on the environmental consequences of sand mining across Asia's river systems.

The news feature examines how satellite imagery, artificial intelligence (AI), and field measurements are helping researchers better understand the scale of sand extraction and its long-term impacts on river ecosystems.

Drawing on his team's research in the Mekong Delta, A/P Park explained that excessive sand mining is accelerating riverbed erosion, pushing saltwater further inland, and threatening agriculture and freshwater supplies. He noted that river systems often recover slowly, or may not fully recover at all, when extraction continues to outpace the natural replenishment of sediment.

The article also highlights the challenges of accurately quantifying sand extraction, much of which occurs underwater and goes unreported. 

To address this, A/P Park's research combines satellite-derived observations with independent bathymetric surveys to improve estimates of extraction volumes and assess changes to river morphology.

Building on this work, his team is now investigating the carbon footprint associated with sand mining, including emissions from dredging vessels, transport fleets, and environmental changes resulting from riverbed degradation.

The Nature feature underscores the growing importance of interdisciplinary research and emerging technologies in supporting evidence-based river management and informing policies for the sustainable use of one of the world's most extracted natural resources.

Read the full Nature feature: India’s rivers bear lasting scars from relentless sand mining