The General Department of Geological and Minerals of Vietnam is urgently carrying out work related to assessing sea sand exploitation for levelling highways, transport and urban infrastructure projects in the Mekong Delta.

The sand demand in the Mekong Delta is quite high, especially with the North-South Expressway project going on. Yet, the sand volume here is remarkably decreasing, leading to an urgent need for feasible proposals on sand exploitation.

The illegal excavation of sand has been found at a section of Da River which runs through Hanoi, and local authorities have apparently done little to curb the problem.

Ninety percent of sediment is trapped in Chinese and Vietnamese reservoirs, which will lead to erosion, according to Mai Van Bieu, an underground-work expert.

Dong Nai River, which runs through many provinces and cities, has received waste water discharge from production workshops, industrial zones (IZ) and fishing village's for years.

In the wake of the complicated development of riverside and coastal landslides, many experts argue that if sand exploitation is an option, the Mekong Delta must be “sacrificed”.

If uncontrolled sand exploitation continues, Mekong Delta will disappear in the future, experts warn.

Cat Tien National Park is facing danger again as local authorities have re-allowed sand exploitation after two years.

Red River, considered a cultural space of Hanoi, is filled with grass and plants, and is polluted and dirty.

Most construction works use illegally exploited sand because legal sources can satisfy only 20 percent of total 120 million cubic meters of sand needed every year.

VietNamNet Bridge - The northern province has favorable natural conditions to develop the use of artificial sand as natural sand resources in the locality are becoming limited. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Sand exploitation brings huge profits even higher than that brought by illegal logging. Experts say.

The Mekong Delta, home to some 18 million inhabitants, is plagued by severe riverbank erosion, which has been blamed on climate change and human factors.

VietNamNet Bridge - Uncontrolled rampant sand exploitation is seriously affecting Krong Ana and Krong No, two large rivers in the Central Highlands. 

The sand volume left on Tien River and Hau Rivers should be carefully preserved and must not be exploited indiscriminately or sold cheaply, according to Nguyen Huu Thien, an independent researcher on Mekong Delta ecology.

VietNamNet Bridge - If Vietnam doesn’t have a plan to exploit sand in an effective and reasonable way, it will have to import sand in the future, experts have said.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam’s sand resources are expected to be exhausted after 15 years. However, people are still wasting sand, and enterprises continue exporting sand.

The riverbed is becoming wider, while houses on the two banks are about to fall into the river due to serious erosion. Illegal sand exploitation has spoiled the environment, caused landslides, changing the current, and threatening waterway transport.

VietNamNet Bridge - Illegal sand exploitation has become hotter than ever, with many beautiful rivers becoming huge sand mining fields.