Trusted artificial intelligence for environmental assessments: An explainable high-precision model with multi-source big data

Environmental assessments are critical for ensuring the sustainable development of human civilization.The integration of artificial intelligence(AI)in these assessments has shown great promise,yet the"black box"nature of AI models often undermines trust due to the lack of transparency in their decision-making processes,even when these models demonstrate high accuracy.To address this challenge,we evaluated the performance of a transformer model against other AI approaches,utilizing extensive multivariate and spatiotemporal environmental datasets encompassing both natural and anthropogenic indicators.We further explored the application of saliency maps as a novel explainability tool in multi-source AI-driven environmental assessments,enabling the identification of individual indicators'contributions to the model's predictions.We find that the transformer model outperforms others,achieving an accuracy of about 98%and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)of 0.891.Regionally,the environmental assessment values are predominantly classified as level II or III in the central and southwestern study areas,level IV in the northern region,and level V in the western region.Through explainability analysis,we identify that water hardness,total dissolved solids,and arsenic concentrations are the most influential indicators in the model.Our AI-driven environmental assessment model is accurate and explainable,offering actionable insights for targeted environmental management.Furthermore,this study advances the application of AI in environmental science by presenting a robust,explainable model that bridges the gap between machine learning and environmental governance,enhancing both understanding and trust in AI-assisted environmental assessments.

Environmental Impact Assessment of Onshore Wind Farms in the Region of Central Greece Using a Modified RIAM Method

Wind energy is one of the most basic forms of renewable energy,which shows an increasing rate of development worldwide and also at the European level.However,this rapid deployment of wind farms makes the need for an impact assessment of this type of projects on the natural and man-made environment imperative.The present paper aims to identify and assess the environmental impacts of wind farm projects in the Region of Central Greece.A modified Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix(RIAM)method is used for this purpose.The methodology includes the identification of the existing onshore wind farm projects in the study area,the appropriate modifications of the RIAM method to respond to the characteristics of the projects and the study area,the qualitative assessment of their potential impacts during construction and operational phases and the computation of the Environmental Performance Grade(EPG)of projects based on the pro-posed modified RIAM method.The results reveal that although there are some slight negative impacts on the natural environment of the study area,the examined wind farms contribute positively both to the atmosphere and to the socio-economic environment of the study.This study extends the potential for using RIAM as a tool in environmental impact assessment studies of renewable energy projects.

Environmental Impact Assessment Follow-Up of Seismic Survey Offshore Activities in Brazil

Follow-up of environmental impacts is an integral part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, closely related to the effectiveness of the instrument. EIA follow-up has been receiving a lot of interest from scientists and practitioners, though it is recognized as one of the weakest points of EIA systems globally. Also, EIA follow-up is influenced by the context, mainly in terms of the types of projects or activities and their related impacts on the environment. Therefore, the present paper is focused on the investigation of the follow-up stage applied to the activity of seismic survey coupled with offshore oil & gas exploitation in Brazil. Research was based on a qualitative approach that included document analysis and semi-structured interviews with analysts involved in EIA processes, and sought to generate evidence of effectiveness of the EIA follow-up as conducted by the Federal Environment Agency (Ibama) in order to situate the practice of follow-up in the broader context of international best practice principles. Based on the findings, it was concluded that, due to the peculiarities of offshore seismic survey, it is necessary to promote adaptations in the procedures for monitoring impacts in order to ensure proper alignment with the principles and conceptual foundations that guide EIA practice. Specifically, the timing of the execution of the activity imposes challenges for its integration into the “conventional” cycle that has guided the monitoring of the impacts in the EIA of projects.

Opportunities to Improve the Quality of Environmental Reports and the Effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment: A Case of Electric Power Transmission Systems in Brazil

A good quality Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is key for the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and consequently to the acceptability of projects subject to EIA. The international literature has contributed to the understanding of the essential aspects to be verified regarding the quality of EIS, offering a wide spectrum of good practice examples related to the content of the studies. Even so, there is a need for empirical studies that allow the identification of specific aspects related to the context of application of the EIS, which could lead to the identification of opportunities to improve both the quality of the reports and also the effectiveness of EIA. Therefore, the present paper is focused on the quality review of a number of EIS submitted to the Brazilian Federal Environmental Agency (Ibama) to instruct the assessment of electric power transmission systems. Based on the application of the EIS quality review package as proposed by Lee and Colley (1992), the outcomes reveal opportunities for improving the scope of EIA, analysis of alternatives, prediction of magnitude and the assessment of impact significance. Finally, the development and/or adaptation of a similar tool for the systematic review of the quality of EIA reports is recommended.

Assessment on eco-environmental quality of the Yellow River Basin by considering desertification index

Desertification has had a significant impact on the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin(YRB)in China.However,previous studies on the evaluation of the ecological environment quality(EEQ)in the YRB have paid limited attention to the indicator of desertification.It is of great significance to incorporate the desertification index into the spatiotemporal assessment of the EEQ in the YRB in order to protect the ecological environment in the region.In this study,based on multi-source remote sensing data from 91 cities in the YRB,this article proposes a desertification remote sensing ecological index(DRSEI)model,which builds upon the traditional Remote Sensing Ecological Index(RSEI)model,to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in the EEQ in the YRB from 2001 to 2021.Furthermore,using the geographic detector(GD),and geographically and temporally weighted regression(GTWR)model,the study assesses the impact of human and natural factors on the EEQ in the YRB.The research findings indicate that:(1)Compared to the traditional RSEI,the improved DRSEI shows a decreasing trend in the evaluation results of the EEQ.Among the 24 cities,the change in DRSEI exceeds 0.05 compared to RSEI,accounting for 26.37%of the YRB.The remaining 67 cities have changes within a range of less than 0.05,accounting for 73.63%of the YRB.(2)The results of the GD for individual and interactive effects reveal that rainfall and elevation have significant individual and interactive effects on the EEQ.Furthermore,after the interaction with natural factors,the explanatory power of human factors gradually increases over time.The spatial heterogeneity results of GTWR demonstrate that rainfall has a strong direct positive impact on the EEQ,accounting for 98.90%of the influence,while temperature exhibits a more pronounced direct inhibitory effect,accounting for 76.92%of the influence.Human activities have a strong negative impact on the EEQ and a weak positive impact.

Techno-economic and Environmental Assessments of SAF from Bioamss:An Review

This review presents a comprehensive techno-economic and life-cycle assessment of sustainable aviation fuel(SAF)production from biomass.The critical need for transitioning towards environmentally sustainable alternatives for liquid fuel and aviation industry is first discussed.Key insights encompass the evolutionary progression of biofuel production from first-generation to second-generation biofuels,with a focus on utilizing non-food sources like woody biomass for enhanced sustainability.Available data from the literature on techno-economic assessments of various SAF production pathways are analyzed including production costs,conversion efficiency,and scalability.Moreover,results of lifecycle assessments associated with different SAF production pathways are presented,providing essential insights for decision-making processes.The challenges of scaling up woody biomass-based SAF production are discussed based on the assessment results,and recommendations are proposed to steer stakeholders towards a greener and more sustainable trajectory for aviation operations.

Risk Assessment of an Environmental Liability in the Commercialization of Hydrocarbons-A Secondary Publication

The risk analysis evaluates the probability of occurrence with the impact of said risks.In the hydrocarbon sector,an environmental liability is an improperly abandoned facility,soil contaminated by spills or others.The objective of this work is to define a risk management plan.The characterization of the residue and the area was carried out.Hazardous events were identified:overflow spill,soil contamination by infiltration,as well as radiant heat and suffocating and toxic fumes from a fire.The matrix method was applied considering the probability of occurrence against vulnerability.The danger of infiltration implied a high level of risk.The risk management plan was drawn up,its main action being the liquidation of the pool and the sanitation of the area.

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Extensive Beef Production in Grazing Lands of Argentina

Because of environmental constraints,beef cattle was for more than a century the only viable farming option in the extensive semiarid and subhumid lands of Argentina and the main source of nutrients for humans as well.However,a growing concern and criticism have risen today about its possible negative impact on the climate and the environment.These worries tend to affect current public opinions,national policies,and international trade.Based on 40 beef cattle farms scattered across different semiarid and subhumid regions of Argentina,here we evaluated the impact of extensive cattle production on carbon,water,and nutrient pollution.Life-Cycle Assessment(LCA)and Land-Based Assessment(LBA)were the two approaches we used here to compare the environmental impact of beef production.While the environmental footprint(EF)resulting from LCA expresses the impact per unit of food,the environmental balance(EB),derived from LBA,aims at quantifying the impact per unit of land.As such,the EB considers both negative and positive impacts on the farm as an integrated system.Following standardized procedures,we evaluated EF and EB up to the farm gate,leaving aside delocalized post-farm impacts such as those of processing,packaging,and transportation that occur beyond the farm gate.In agreement with previous evidence,our results show that the EF tends to decrease as per-head production increases.Correlation coefficients and statistical significance were the following for carbon(R=−0.574;p<0.01),water(R=−0.561;p<0.01),and N(R=−0.704;p<0.01)and Phosphorus(P)pollution(R=−0.802;p<0.01)footprints.On the contrary,the EB seems to be highly sensitive,and as per-hectare beef production increases.Correlations were the following for carbon emissions(CE:R=0.955;p<0.01),water consumption(WC:R=0.822;p<0.01),nitrogen excretion(NE:R=0.948;p<0.01)and phosphorus excretion(PE:R=0.945;p<0.01).What our results suggest is that the notion of EF is useful to evaluate the environmental impact in intensive beef production systems,and the EB is suitable to assess the impact of the extensive ones.In practice,both approaches provide different perspectives on the environmental-impact problem and they should be complementary used.We concluded that the methodological rigidity of EF does not allow proper discrimination among farms in the extensive systems.On the contrary,the EB approach tended to be highly sensitive to detecting differences between individual farms and farmers,thus allowing the identification of successful options for extensive beef production in terms of public image,policy-making,and commercial opportunities.

Risk assessment of oil and gas investment environment in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative

With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, China is deepening its cooperation in oil and gas resources with countries along the Initiative. In order to better mitigate risks and enhance the safety of investments, it is of significant importance to research the oil and gas investment environment in these countries for China's overseas investment macro-layout. This paper proposes an indicator system including 27 indicators from 6 dimensions. On this basis, game theory models combined with global entropy method and analytic hierarchy process are applied to determine the combined weights, and the TOPSIS-GRA model is utilized to assess the risks of oil and gas investment in 76 countries along the Initiative from 2014 to 2021. Finally, the GM(1,1) model is employed to predict risk values for 2022-2025. In conclusion, oil and gas resources and political factors have the greatest impact on investment environment risk, and 12 countries with greater investment potential are selected through cluster analysis in conjunction with the predicted results. The research findings may provide scientific decisionmaking recommendations for the Chinese government and oil enterprises to strengthen oil and gas investment cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.

Assessing environmental impact:Micro-energy network optimization in a Chinese industrial park

Micro-energy systems contribute significantly to environmental improvement by reducing dependence on power grids through the utilization of multiple renewable energy sources.This study quantified the environmental impact of a micro-energy network system in an industrial park through a life cycle assessment using the operation of the micro-energy network over a year as the functional unit and“cradle-to-gate”as the system boundary.Based on the baseline scenario,a natural gas generator set was added to replace central heating,and the light pipes were expanded to constitute the optimized scenario.The results showed that the key impact categories for both scenarios were global warming,fine particulate matter formation,human carcinogenic toxicity,and human non-carcinogenic toxicity.The overall environmental impact of the optimized scenario was reduced by 68%compared to the baseline scenario.A sensitivity analysis of the key factors showed that electricity from the power grid was the key impact factor in both scenarios,followed by central heating and natural gas.Therefore,to reduce the environmental impact of network systems,it is necessary to further optimize the grid power structure.The research approach can be used to optimize micro-energy networks and evaluate the environmental impact of different energy systems.

An Analysis of Supply Chain Environment in Great Wall Motor Based on Life-Cycle Assessment

Great Wall Motor(GWM),a leading automotive manufacturer,places a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability and social responsibility.The company focuses on comprehensively evaluating and enhancing its supply chain to align with these objectives.This evaluation spans the entire product life cycle,encompassing design,manufacturing,packaging,distribution,usage,and recycling and disposal processes.Key areas of focus include optimizing raw material selection,improving product recyclability,reducing energy consumption and waste emissions,and minimizing carbon emissions during transportation.Through these endeavors,GWM not only enhances its environmental performance by reducing carbon emissions and resource consumption but also bolsters its brand image and competitiveness in the market.GWM’s dedication to environmental innovation and technological leadership serves as a driving force behind sustainable development and social responsibility within the industry.

Establishment of human cerebral organoid systems to model early neural development and assess the central neurotoxicity of environmental toxins

Human brain development is a complex process,and animal models often have significant limitations.To address this,researchers have developed pluripotent stem cell-derived three-dimensional structures,known as brain-like organoids,to more accurately model early human brain development and disease.To enable more consistent and intuitive reproduction of early brain development,in this study,we incorporated forebrain organoid culture technology into the traditional unguided method of brain organoid culture.This involved embedding organoids in matrigel for only 7 days during the rapid expansion phase of the neural epithelium and then removing them from the matrigel for further cultivation,resulting in a new type of human brain organoid system.This cerebral organoid system replicated the temporospatial characteristics of early human brain development,including neuroepithelium derivation,neural progenitor cell production and maintenance,neuron differentiation and migration,and cortical layer patterning and formation,providing more consistent and reproducible organoids for developmental modeling and toxicology testing.As a proof of concept,we applied the heavy metal cadmium to this newly improved organoid system to test whether it could be used to evaluate the neurotoxicity of environmental toxins.Brain organoids exposed to cadmium for 7 or 14 days manifested severe damage and abnormalities in their neurodevelopmental patterns,including bursts of cortical cell death and premature differentiation.Cadmium exposure caused progressive depletion of neural progenitor cells and loss of organoid integrity,accompanied by compensatory cell proliferation at ectopic locations.The convenience,flexibility,and controllability of this newly developed organoid platform make it a powerful and affordable alternative to animal models for use in neurodevelopmental,neurological,and neurotoxicological studies.

Establishing environmental background values of selected trace elements and environmental quality assessment of fi negrained sediments in the Jiaozhou Bay catchment,China

With the development of economy,the impact of human activities on ecological environment is increasing,and environmental protection work is important.Trace elements(Co,Ni,Cu,Pb,Zn,Cd,Cr,and Sc)in surface fi ne-grained sediment samples from the Jiaozhou Bay catchment were selected to evaluate their 2015 environmental background values and the environmental quality.Using statistical analysis,the environmental background values(ranges)of Sc,Co,Ni,Cu,Pb,Zn,Cd,and Cr were calculated,being 13.1(10.8-15.4),12.4(8.6-16.2),32.0(22.9-41.2),29.6(13.5-64.9),24.1(13.0-44.6),77.6(38.5-156.5),0.07(0.02-0.20),and 82.5(66.5-104.0)mg/kg,respectively.The enrichment factor,contamination factor,and pollution load index were used to evaluate the pollution status of the Jiaozhou Bay catchment.The environmental background values of most elements are higher than those of the upper continental crust and lower than those of global shale.At present,the pollution in the eastern Jiaozhou Bay is much higher than that in the western part.The results shall be helpful for future management for trace element pollution monitoring in the Jiaozhou Bay catchment.

Economy, environmental assessment and energy conservation for separation of isopropanol/diisopropyl ether/water multi-azeotropes via extractive distillation coupled pervaporation process

This wok proposed the extraction distillation coupled pervaporation(ED+PV) technology process using two different solvents to separate isopropanol(IPA) and diisopropyl ether(DIPE) from DIPE/IPA/H_(2)O ternary heterogeneous azeotropes in industrial wastewater from the synthesis of isopropanol in this study.Based on strict design specifications, simulation and sequential iteration methods are used for process design and optimization. Compared to the ethylene glycol(EG)-EG+H_(2)O process and the 1,3-propanediol(PDO)-IPA+H_(2)O process, the total annual cost(TAC) of the EG-IPA+H_(2)O process decreased by 20.76% and 7.86%(PDO). Compared to the EG-EG+H_(2)O process, the TAC of the PDO-IPA+H_(2)O process reduced 14%, but the global warming potential(GWP) and human toxicity of the PDO-IPA+H_(2)O process increased 11.3% and 4.07% respectively. Compared to the PDO-IPA+H_(2)O process, the EG-IPA+H_(2)O process saves 7.86%(TAC), 9.78%(GWP) and 9.85%(human toxicity). The ED+PV process with EG is superior to PDO in factors of TAC, energy consumption, human toxicity and environment. The EG-IPA+H_(2)O process changed the separation order of the products of the multi-azeotropic system, reduced the cost and energy conservation of the system, and enhanced the environmental protection evaluation of the process, is the best process through life cycle assessment for analyzing the economy, energy conservation, environmental assessment and human toxicity, designing cleaner products, controlling waste discharge, and promoting the chemical purification industry. This work provides a new process design and optimized separation ideas, will have a good guiding significance for the research and application separation of multi-azeotropic mixture with mixed solvents in organic wastewater from the cleaner chemical production, has been up to standard wastewater discharge process, and realized the development goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality in the sustainable development of chemical clean industry.

Importance of Public Engagement in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and the Benefits of Stakeholder Involvement in Project Design, Environmental Soundness, and Social Acceptability

The paper discusses the importance of public engagement in environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and the benefits of stakeholder involvement in project design, environmental soundness, and social acceptability. It highlights the negative repercussions of mining activities in Ghana, including health consequences such as skin conditions, fever, coughs, diarrhea, malaria, and catarrh, as well as HIV/AIDS infection among those engaged in or connected to prostitution in mining towns. The environmental effects of mining in Ghana include noise pollution from heavy trucks, contamination of water bodies with chemicals from mineral refining, pollution of agricultural soils leading to reduced food productivity, and wildlife depletion from deforestation. The activities of small-scale miners, particularly those engaged in illicit mining, have a negative impact on water quality and increase the cost of water treatment for public consumption. Mining operations have detrimental effects on the social, cultural, and natural ecosystems in Ghana, affecting the quality of life of local communities. The study takes into consideration the impact of mining activities on the environment and natural resources in Ghana, as these are vital to the livelihoods of Ghanaian communities. Stakeholders in Tarkwa claim that mining operations have distorted the natural path of the river, leading to excessive pollution and making the water unfit for consumption. Ghana’s economy depends heavily on mining, which also contributes significantly to GDP and generates jobs for a large number of people. But mining also has a lot of negative repercussions, the effects of mining extend beyond the mineralized zone initially explored, highlighting the need to consider the environmental impact at every phase of the mining process.

Environmental performance assessments of different methods of coal preparation for use in small-capacity boilers: experiment and theory

The purpose of this article is to receive environmental assessments of combustion of different types of coal fuel depending on the preparation(unscreened,size-graded,briquetted and heat-treated)in automated boilers and boilers with manual load-ing.The assessments were made on the basis of data obtained from experimental methods of coal preparation and calculated methods of determining the amount of pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions,as well as the mass of ash and slag waste.The main pollutants from coal combustion are calculated:particulate matter,benz(a)pyrene,nitrogen oxides,sulfur dioxide,carbon monoxide.Of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide is calculated.As a result of conducted research it is shown that the simplest preliminary preparation(size-graded)of coal significantly improves combustion efficiency and environmental performance:emissions are reduced by 13%for hard coal and up to 20%for brown coal.The introduction of automated boil-ers with heat-treated coal in small boiler facilities allows to reduce emissions and ash and slag waste by 2-3 times.The best environmental indicators correspond to heat-treated lignite,which is characterized by the absence of sulfur dioxide emissions.

Assessment of Aged Offshore Jacket Type Platforms Considering Environmental Loads and Degradation Parameters

Offshore steel structures are a common investment in oil and gas industries operating in shallow to medium depth seas.These structures have become increasingly popular since the mid-19th century,with a typical design life of 30-50 years.Despite their popularity,the structural integrity of existing offshore structures remains a controversial topic.Environmental loads and material degradation have been identified as significant factors that can compromise the structural integrity of offshore structures.To address this issue,this study aims to investigate the reserved strength capacity of a selected offshore structure located in the Malaysian Seas.The study will explore the effect of oceanographic data,variations in vertical load,and corrosion on the structure’s main members.To determine the impact of each variable on the reserved strength ratio(RSR)of the structure,several pushover analyses were conducted with different variables.Previous literature has shown little or no relationship between seawater wave height,gravity loads,and corrosion allowance on submerged steel members and the RSR of offshore structures.However,this study aims tofill this gap in knowledge by examining these variables’effects on the RSR of offshore structures.The study’sfindings indicate that even a slight increase in wave height can significantly impact the structure’s RSR due to the increase in lateral loading,potentially leading to severe damage to structural components and the foundation model.Additionally,gravity loads had an adverse effect on the RSR of the structure when more than double the vertical load was added.Corrosion allowance was also found to impact the RSR,particularly when assuming significant wall thickness corrosion in primary members.Overall,thefindings of this study have important implications for the design and maintenance of offshore structures.The results suggest that engineers and operators should pay close attention to the potential impacts of environmental loads,such as wave height and gravity loads,and material degradation,such as corrosion allowance,on the structural integrity of offshore structures.This information can be used to optimize the design and maintenance of offshore structures,leading to safer and more efficient operations.

Environmental Impact Assessment of Cotton Ginning Agricultural Machinery

This paper realizes the hazards of chromium contamination and pollution caused in the use of chrome composite leather-clad(CCLC)rollers commonly used in cotton roller ginning industries and attempts to eliminate the chromium contamination and pollution during this environmental impact assessment(EIA)process.The cotton roller ginning process is the mechanical separation of cotton fibres from their seeds by means of one or more rollers to which fibres adhere while the seeds are impeded and struck off or pulled loose.Most of the cotton ginning operations are done using roller gins.The CCLC roller coverings contain about 18,000 to 30,000 mg/kg(ppm)as total chromium of trivalent and hexavalent forms which are toxic to human health.When the seed-cotton is ginned,due to the persistent rubbing of CCLC rollers over the fixed knives,the cotton and its products get contaminated with the total chromium of trivalent and hexavalent forms.Gin mill workers are exposed to the cotton dust and chromium pollution and are susceptible to health hazards such as premature death,cancer,byssinosis,and ulcers in cotton ginning air environment since toxic effects are produced by prolonged contact with airborne or solid or liquid chromium compounds even in small quantities.Noise pollution of agricultural ginning machinery in seed-cotton ginning mills has been found out to be 102-103 dB(A)decibel levels.To offset this problem,pollution-free rubberized cotton fabric(RCF)eco-friendly rollers for both the laboratory and commercial studies have been designed,fabricated and used in experiments in rollers gins.This nullifies chromium contamination and pollution during the complete process.Cotton technological parameters are well proven for commercial acceptance.

Water Environmental Impact Assessment and Analysis of Foshan Brewery Project

In recent years, the beer industry is a biological food industry that consumes a lot of water, and it has developed rapidly in China. The sewage discharged from the mass production of beer poses a huge threat to the environment. In order to evaluate and better solve the possible environmental impacts of beer treatment engineering projects, a brewery project in Foshan City is taken as an example to investigate the water pollution generation links of the engineering process including surface water and groundwater. According to the relevant technical methods and standards, water pollution factors are screened, and concentration and discharge are monitored. Through comprehensive analysis, predictive evaluation is obtained. It is confirmed that the project meets the requirements of national laws and regulations and environmental protection standards.

Environmental Assessment of Coastal Sand Mining Using Proposed DPSIR Criteria:A Case of Hai Phong

The environmental impact of coastal sand mining activities in Hai Phong city was assessed using ten proposed sustainable criteria for socio-economic development,and ecological and environmental protection.These ten criteria were developed by the analysis of the Dynamics-Pressure-State-Impact-Response(DPSIR)framework,including one driver and pressure criterion(D and P),seven status and impact criteria(S and I),and two response criteria(R).Each criterion is quantified according to five specific evaluation criteria corresponding to the evaluation score from 1 to 5.The results of the ten criterion application for environmental impact assessment of coastal mining Hai Phong by weighting show that the areas with economic activities,benthic biodiversity,and coastal ecosystems are most negatively impacted(score 4/5 and 3.5/5).Other subjects suffer low to moderate impacts(score 1/5 to 3/5).The environmental impact of sand mining(2015-2020)is generally moderate(score ranging from 2/5 to 3/5).The set of adjusted criteria can be applied to similar activities in coastal provinces and cities in Vietnam.