Mekong Water Data Hour: Sand Mining

Past
 Event

Join us for a discussion on tracking sand mining in the Mekong through satellite-based monitoring

The world’s large rivers are facing reduced sediment loads due to anthropogenic activities such as hydropower development and sediment extraction. Globally, estimates of riverine sand extraction from large river systems are lacking, in part due to the pervasive and distributed nature of extraction processes, and insufficient monitoring. Chris Hackney and Magdalena Smigaj will demonstrate how satellite imagery and deep learning approaches can identify river vessels and contribute towards monitoring and mapping of anthropogenic activities, focusing on the Vietnamese Mekong Delta where river sand mining is pervasive and has a broad range of socio-environmental impacts.

Featured Speakers

Magdalena Smigaj, Postdoctoral researcher, Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University

Magdalena Smigaj’s research interests lie in the development and application of remote sensing techniques to environmental monitoring, working across scales, sensor modalities and application areas. Broadly, these include monitoring vegetation health in forested and agricultural environments, improving understanding of water resources availability, and developing methods for better monitoring of sand mining activity and its impacts.

Christopher Hackney, NUAcT Fellow, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University

Chris Hackney is a NUAcT fellow in the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology at Newcastle University in the UK. Chris researches sediment and water transport through river and delta systems, particularly in South East Asian deltas such as the Mekong, Red and Irrawaddy systems. He is interested in the way that humans are impacting natural fluvial processes, with a particular focus on sand mining.

Nga Nguyen, National Coordinator, Open Development Vietnam

Nga Nguyen is the national coordinator for Open Development Vietnam, a branch of Open Development Initiative – a project by East-West Management Institute promoting open data in lower Mekong countries. As a researcher, she conducts writing and data visualization/story on development issues in Vietnam and manages empowerment projects for indigenous women and local communities.

Jitraporn Somyanontanakul, Assistant Professor, College of Politics and Governance, Mahasarakham University, Thailand

Jitraporn Somyanontanakul’s current research is on small scale water users’ innovation of water management in Thailand and is particularly interested in the ‘governance issue,’ especially how stakeholders could be really engaged in water management policy process.

Moderator

Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia Program Director, Stimson Center

Brian Eyler directs the Southeast Asia Program and the Energy, Water, and Sustainability Program. He is an expert on transboundary issues in the Mekong region and specializes in China’s economic cooperation with Southeast Asia. He is widely recognized as a leading voice on environmental, energy, and water security issues in the Mekong. Brian is co-lead on the Mekong Dam Monitor. His first book, Last Days of the Mighty Mekong, was published by Zed Books in 2019. See his full bio here.

Photo: Ted McGrath.

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