Worldwide demand for sand and gravel is increasing daily, as the need for these materials continues to rise, for example in the construction sector, in land filling and for transportation sector based infrastructural projects. This results in over-extraction of sand from channel beds, and hampers the natural renewal of sediment, geological setup and morphological processes of the riverine system.

In India, illegal sand mining (of alluvial channels) and gravel mining (of perennial channels) are two anthropogenic issues that negatively affect the sustainable drainage system. Along the Kangsabati River in India, the consequences of sand mining are very serious. The construction of Mukutmonipur Dam (1958) on the river causes huge sediment deposition along the middle and downstream areas, these same areas are also intensely mined for sand (instream and on the flood plain). Geospatial models are applied in order to better understand the state and the resilience of stream hydraulics, morphological and river ecosystem variables during pre-mining and post-mining stages, using micro-level datasets of the Kangsabati River.

The book also includes practicable measures to minimize the environmental consequences of instream mining in respect to optimum sand mining. It discusses the threshold limits of each variable in stream hydraulics, morphological and river ecological regime, and also discusses the most affected variables. Consequently, all outputs will be very useful for students, researchers, academicians, decision makers and practitioners and will facilitate applying these techniques to create models for other river basins.

Inhalt
Chapter - 1Introduction1.1 River sand mining 1.2 Past work on river sand mining1.3 Past works on river sand mining in India1.4 Sand: mineralogical structure, origin and types1.5 Environmental sensitivity of sand1.6 Economic significance 1.7 Global challenge for sustainable sand mining during 21st century1.8 Scope of the present study1.9 The study areaReferences..Chapter 2Geomorphological thresholds and sand mining2.1 Types of river sand mining2.2 Methods of sand mining 2.3 Sand mining in alluvial Non-perennial River: process and generation 2.4 Sand mining in Kangsabati River: Background and mining sites2.5 Geographical setting of River Kangsabati: a tropical non perennial river        2.5.1 Drainage        2.5.2 Geological setup       2.5.3 Geomorphic setup       2.5.4 Soil class       2.5.5 Climate       2.5.6 Slope and elevation        2.5.7 Land use and land cover      2.5.8 Demographic setup along the basin to show the demand for sandReferencesChapter 3Sediment budget and mining area detection using RUSLE and SDR models3.1 Introduction3.2 Sediment source        3.2.1 Soil loss estimation (RUSLE)                 3.2.1.1 Objectives                3.2.1.2 Methodology and mapping                3.2.1.3 RUSLE parameter Estimation                            3.2.1.3.1 Rainfall Erosivity Factor (R)                             3.2.1.3.2 Soil Erodibility Factor (K)                             3.2.1.3.3 Slope Length and Slope Steepness Factor (Ls)                             3.2.1.3.4 Cover Management Factor (C)                             3.2.1.3.5 Support Practice Factor (P)                 3.2.1.4 Results and Discussions                            3.2.1.4.1 Estimation of potential soil erosion                            3.2.1.4.2 Sub basin wise potential annual soil loss estimation                             3.2.1.4.3 Sub basin wise mean Soil erosion probability zones                             3.2.1.4.4 Correlation of sub basin wise land use/land covers                              (LULC) and basin area          ...