From Extraction to Recovery: Understanding the Environmental and Social Transformations of Gravel Mining

Abstract

Although gravel and sand mining is widespread globally, sediment extraction can create severe consequences for the integrity of the physical landscape and livelihoods of residents. This study examines the impacts of gravel mining on physical and human landscapes in NE Bangladesh, focusing on changes during mining and following its cessation. Four periods of mining are identified, revealing the more rapid recovery of the channel compared to the floodplain. Channel degradation shows extraction rates exceeding the natural sediment supply, highlighting the need for sustainable extraction practices. Interviews with local residents and an environmental pressure group reveal differing viewpoints on gravel extraction, with local residents reporting post-mining economic and social hardships. We propose six policy recommendations to help guide future sustainable sediment extraction, both in Bangladesh and at similar sites worldwide, including artisanal mining, rotational extraction zones, environmental monitoring, community involvement, prioritization of floodplain extraction, and floodplain restoration.

Keywords: gravel mining, river geomorphology, landscape recovery, remote sensing, socio-economic impacts, sustainable development, artisanal mining, environmental governance, Bangladesh