Journal Press India^®

Author Details ( * ) denotes Corresponding author

Purpose: This paper establishes the impact of sand mining on ecosystem change. It intends to expose both benefits and negative impacts accrued from sand mining, and their implication on ecosystem change. The paper further reveals man’s position in the ecosystem and his influence on its stability, while providing the importance of the ecosystem stability to human health and a sustainable global environment.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This is a research based paper, build up on extensive literature review and analysis from sand mining processes, ecosystem concept, and drivers of ecosystem change.

Findings: Various studies reveal tremendous impact to the ecosystem due to sand mining. These include; loss of biodiversity, injury and death to human in the mining process, pollution at various scales, land degradation, and loss of agricultural lands. Change in land use has also increased poverty amongst people. It was further discovered that a stable ecosystem is maintained by its proper management, conservation, and restoration of threatened ecosystems.

Research Limitations: There are a lot of unrevealed facts about the sand resource, its use and its mining impact to all aspects of the ecosystem. Above all, this paper doesn’t exhaust everything about ecosystem change mechanism. It keeps to the topic only.

Practical Implications: The paper entails both local and international sand mining communities. When sand mining is conducted with caution to the future of the ecosystem, human health, and environment will be safe. The society will further be informed that, it is a part of the complex ecosystem, and, therefore, destroying the ecosystem, is destroying oneself. This will make the ongoing sand mining activities friendly towards the ecosystem.

Originality/Value: This paper is recommended for small scale and large scale sand miners in both developed and developing countries, also local and central governments worldwide, because changes made to the ecosystem impacts human health and both local and global environment.

Keywords

Biodiversity, Degradation, Ecosystem Change, Sand Mining, Technology.

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