[Objective] Illegal sand mining in river channels has caused riverbed incision and led to eco-environmental problems such as permafrost degradation, bank slope instability, and destruction of aquatic ecosystems, threatening the ecological health of plateau rivers and lakes in the Xizang Autonomous Region. This study aims to analyze the current situation and problems of river sand mining management in Xizang, propose management and protection measures, and provide references for promoting the standardization of river sand mining management in the Xizang Autonomous Region. [Methods] Methods including investigation, data statistics, empirical analysis, qualitative analysis, and comprehensive analysis were employed to systematically review the current status of river sand mining management in the Xizang Autonomous Region and analyze problems in the construction of laws and regulations, river sand mining planning, preparation of annual sand mining implementation plans, and management of engineering sand mining. [Results] River sand mining management in the Xizang Autonomous Region faces problems such as incomplete laws and regulations, insufficient operability and specificity of some institutional requirements, and the presence of blind spots in management. In some areas, river sand mining plans and annual sand mining implementation plans are not prepared according to relevant technical guidelines or standards, resulting in insufficient scientific basis and compliance of the plans or annual implementation plans. The mechanism for defining engineering sand mining requires further improvement. In daily supervision, the management initiative of water administrative departments in some areas needs to be strengthened, with limited regulatory measures and relatively weak technical capacity. These problems affect the efficiency of management and supervision of river sand mining. [Conclusion] This study proposes the following countermeasures and recommendations. (1) Efforts in legislative research, local regulations, and legal constraints should be strengthened in full consideration of the management situation of river sand mining in the Xizang Autonomous Region. (2) By refining the management requirements for river sand mining and formulating standards for illegal activities and penalties, scientific river sand mining plans should be developed, taking into account the characteristics of river sections, current status of sand mining, and ecological management needs of rivers and lakes in the planning period for each planned reach. In light of the widespread distribution of glaciers and permafrost, long vegetation recovery cycle, and chain reactions like riverbed incision and shoreline collapse triggered by sand mining activities that threaten water conservation functions, annual river sand mining plans and technical standards for the comprehensive utilization of dredged sand should be formulated to strengthen the top-level design of river sand mining management. (3) For special areas such as uninhabited areas, differentiated supervision plans should be developed. The river chief system platform should be fully utilized to strengthen joint law enforcement operations among multiple departments, carry out joint law enforcement at the junctions of administrative regions, enhance targeted governance in areas with weak regulatory capacity, and strengthen on-site supervision for permitted sand mining sites by scale and region, thereby improving daily supervision mechanisms. (4) A complete management system for river sand and gravel mining and transportation should be established, an integrated monitoring and perception system for river sand mining should be gradually developed, and the construction of intelligent supervision should be promoted. These recommendations can provide theoretical support and practical reference for the supervision of river sand mining with plateau ecological characteristics.