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This research aims to quantify the effects of black-sand mining on land cover and surface-water dynamics in the N’Diago region of Mauritania.

August 13, 2026GeographiesOpen Access

Remote Sensing Assessment of Land-Cover and Surface-Water Changes Associated with Black-Sand Mining Areas in an Arid Environment: A Multi-Index Exploratory Case Study from N’Diago, Mauritania (2014–2026)

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Exploratory case study reveals significant hydrological and land cover impacts of mining in arid coastal areas.

This research aims to quantify the effects of black-sand mining on land cover and surface-water dynamics in the N’Diago region of Mauritania.
Analyzed three Landsat scenes (2014, 2020, and 2026) using Geographic Information System (QGIS).
Employed four spectral indices including NDVI, NDWI, BSI, and CI to assess land cover changes.
Used supervised Support Vector Machine classification over an area of 97.82 ha.
Bare soil consistently dominated the landscape (92.6–95.7%), while vegetation was below 7%.
Inland water body shrank from 1.02 ha in 2020 to 0.40 ha in 2026, a 60.6% loss.
Spectral patterns indicated stability in bare soil and color indices, with the need for validation from field data.

A 2026 study studied this question.

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