“Local people want to keep their sand”: Variations in community perceptions and everyday resistance to sand mining across the Red River, Vietnam

•Sand mining resistance and impacts are spatially variable across the Red River Delta.•Upstream, open resistance occurs through reporting, protest, and media involvement.•Downstream, resistance transitioned from open to closed, cultural resistance.•Key resistance drivers are mining site proximity and associated livelihood impacts.•Resistance is enabled by pre-existing structural legislative processes.