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# Sand extraction carried a measurable land-use signal in cross-country models
- URL: https://intelligence.wildlandseco.com/2026-10-16-sand-mining-cross-country-land-use-associations/
- Published: 2026-10-16T13:37:40.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-16T13:37:40.000Z
- Description: Econometric associations link extraction and land transformation across BRICS, G7 and Middle East/North Africa groups, not individual river impacts.
- Author: Benjamin Worlund
- Tags: sand mining, construction materials, resource extraction, environmental economics, Land, Water, Governance, #ecological-intelligence, #brief-2026-10-16, #global-radar, #peer-reviewed, #geo-global

Evidence

Peer-reviewed

Geography

BRICS, G7 and Middle East/North Africa country groups; panel 1990–2022

System

Sand extraction; land-use change; environmental economic indicators

## WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS

An econometric study of 1990–2022 country-level data related sand mining and other economic or policy variables to land-use change, ecological footprint and carbon emissions. The modeled long-run association between a one-percent increase in sand mining and land-use change was 0.223% in BRICS, 0.12% in G7 and 0.055% in MENA groups.

## WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ

Construction supply chains have environmental footprints beyond project boundaries. These national correlations are a reason to strengthen material accounting and site-specific river/coast assessments, not to substitute them.

## CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY

Macroeconomic regression does not isolate the ecological effect of a particular dredging or mining operation, establish a causal mechanism or quantify species losses. Group differences can reflect underlying policy and development patterns.

## SOURCE

Sofi et al. · Discover Environment · cross-country econometric study (15 Oct 2026)  
[View original evidence ↗](https://doi.org/10.1007/s44274-026-01078-4?ref=intelligence.wildlandseco.com)

From the Morning Brief · 2026-10-16

[Read the full Morning Brief →](https://intelligence.wildlandseco.com/morning-brief-2026-10-16/)