As sand mining grows, Asia’s deltas are sinking, water experts warn

• Sarwar Alam
• 02 October, 2018

By: Sarwar Alam

Sand mining from rivers is depriving many low-lying Asian deltas of the sediment they need to maintain themselves, raising the risk of worsening land loss to sea level rise, researchers say. Combined with losses of soil-holding mangroves and accelerating groundwater extraction, which can lead to land sinking, the mining is increasing climate-related threats for those living in low-lying coastal areas, they said. “We have created a recipe for climate disaster,” said Marc Goichot of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Deltas dependent on the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna, Mekong and Yangtze rivers are now sinking and shrinking, according to research carried out by WWF…

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