Large piles of sand are prepared for extraction in the Lanzhou New Area, China. Image by photographer Sim Chi Yin (2013).
A study model, formed by casting concrete in sand, showing a small portion of the Mekong Delta.
Sediment load is crucial to the formation and maintenance of a delta including land formation, nutrient supply, and shoreline stability. The need for energy upstream will continue to significantly reshape the delta downstream.
A process image of the final model, which uses sand, soil, and foam as formwork.
Sand is transported across international waters on bulk carriers, capable of carrying large loads of raw materials. This map tracks bulk carriers traveling from Vietnam to Singapore over a period of 30 days, revealing the routes sand takes after extraction.
The extent of illegal sand mining in the Mekong Delta is reflected in the discrepancy between the actual volume of sand extracted and the rate permitted by the provincial government. Map by Minhan Lin.
What is the architecture of sand extraction?
The Thanh Binh district sees high activity of illegal sand mining along the administrative border. Dredging activity changes shifts with the wet and dry seasons over the years. Map by Minhan Lin.
The final model gives shape to the invisible voids left behind by sand mining.