Strategic assessment of the magnitude and impacts of sand mining in Poyang Lake, China (original) (raw)

Abstract

Planning for the extraction of aggregates is typically dealt with at a case to case basis, without assessing environmental impacts strategically. In this study we assess the impact of sand mining in Poyang Lake, where dredging began in 2001 after sand mining in the Yangtze River had been banned. In April 2008 concern over the impact on the biodiversity led to a ban on sand mining in Poyang Lake until further plans could be developed. Planning will require consideration of both sand extraction in relation to available sediment resources and also environmental impacts within the context of future demand for sand in the lower Yangtze Valley. We used pairs of near-infrared (NIR) Aster satellite imagery to estimate the number of vessels leaving the lake. Based on this we calculated a rate of sand extraction of 236 million m3 year−1 in 2005–2006. This corresponds to 9% of the total Chinese demand for sand. It qualifies Poyang Lake as probably the largest sand mining operation in the world. It also indicates that sand extraction currently dominates the sediment balance of the lower Yangtze River. A positive relation between demand for sand and GDP, revealed by historic data from the USA, suggests that the current per capita demand for sand in China might increase in the near future from 2 to 4 m3 year−1. We review various environmental impacts and question whether it will be possible to preserve the rich biodiversity of the lake, while continuing at the same time satisfying the increasing Chinese demand for sand. Finally we review alternative options for sand mining, in order to relieve the pressure from the Poyang Lake ecosystem.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the ITC research program and grants of the Royal Netherlands Academy Science, the Netherlands Science Foundation (WOTRO, Grant WB 84-550), the American Philosophical Society and the National Basic Research Program of China. We acknowledge the helpful comments made by Dr. E. C. Kosters (Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences) and Dr. B. Schijf (Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment), who reviewed this paper prior to submission, and two anonymous referees.

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1. Jan de Leeuw
   Present address: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya

Authors and Affiliations

1. International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), P.O. Box 6, 7500 AA, Enschede, The Netherlands
   Jan de Leeuw & Jing Xiao
2. Department of Geography, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0322, USA
   David Shankman
3. School of Resources and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, 430079, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
   Guofeng Wu & Jing Xiao
4. Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
   Willem Frederik de Boer
5. International Crane Foundation, P.O. Box 447, Baraboo, WI, 53913, USA
   James Burnham
6. State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, North Zhongshan Road 3663, Shanghai, 200062, China
   Qing He
7. SERTIT, Strasbourg University, Pole API, Boulevard Sebastien Brant, BP 10413, 67412, Illkirch, France
   Herve Yesou

Authors

1. Jan de Leeuw
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2. David Shankman
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3. Guofeng Wu
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4. Willem Frederik de Boer
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5. James Burnham
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6. Qing He
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7. Herve Yesou
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8. Jing Xiao
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Correspondence toJan de Leeuw.

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de Leeuw, J., Shankman, D., Wu, G. et al. Strategic assessment of the magnitude and impacts of sand mining in Poyang Lake, China.Reg Environ Change 10, 95–102 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-009-0096-6

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• Received: 13 April 2009
• Accepted: 06 July 2009
• Published: 24 July 2009
• Issue Date: June 2010
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-009-0096-6

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