Morpho‐ecological changes and socioeconomic impacts due to sand mining in the Someshwari River, Bangladesh

Rapid urbanization and infrastructural expansion in Bangladesh have sharply increased the demand for construction‐grade sand. In the Someshwari River, unregulated large‐scale extraction now poses significant morpho‐ecological and socioeconomic challenges. This study combined remote sensing, field sampling, laboratory analysis, household surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews to assess these impacts. The mined sand was found to be of high‐quality coarse material (0.69 mm), supporting an annual extraction of about 296 million cubic feet valued at approximately USD 18.9 million. From 2020 to 2023, the river experienced a net erosion loss of 31 ha, frequent channel reconfiguration and widespread deep dredging potholes. While most water quality parameters met national and WHO standards, localized degradation occurred near active mining, with elevated BOD levels of 3.1 mg/L. Air quality indicators such as SO₂ (3.03 ppm), PM₂.₅ (127.75 μg/m 3 ) and PM₁₀ (164.4 μg/m 3 ), along with noise levels averaging 78.69 dB, exceeded national limits. Residents reported declines in biodiversity, reduced livelihood diversity, damaged infrastructure, respiratory risks and a perceived drop in groundwater levels. Sustainable management through source‐governance‐monitor‐educate frameworks, rotational mining and modern low‐impact equipment is urgently needed.