The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently shed light on an alarming issue in their report titled, “Sand and Sustainability: Finding new solutions for environmental governance of global sand resources”. The report has discussed a growing concern of sand extraction surpassing the rate of its natural replenishment. Sand and gravel, currently the most extracted solid material globally, are pivotal to the construction of essential infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and industrial facilities.
Increasing Demand for Sand and Gravel
The report revealed that cement production, which significantly coincides with the use of sand and gravel, has tripled within two decades. This surge is partly due to the rising global infrastructure construction predominated by India and China. China, through its Belt and Road Initiative, is investing overseas, fuelling demand for aggregates (a term denoting crushed rock, sand, and gravel) across nearly 70 nations. Concurrently, domestic demands in India promise robust future growth, particularly in Asia. Despite this increasing demand, managing sand mining remains a challenge due to issues in transparency and accountability.
Ecological Damage
According to UNEP’s report, while quarries and sand and gravel pits meet the majority of global sand demand (85-90%), the remainder procured from rivers and seashores (10-15%) is of severe concern due to damaging environmental and social impacts. The extraction process often leads to river and coastal erosion, threatening freshwater and marine life, triggering riverbank instability and resultant flooding. It also affects groundwater levels. Notably, China and India are key hotspots for these detrimental impacts of sand extraction in rivers, lakes, and coastlines.
| Country | Percentage of Global Sand Extraction |
|---|---|
| China | #% |
| India | #% |
The report also stated that large rivers globally have lost between half and 95% of their natural sand and gravel to oceans. This is primarily due to damming for hydro-electricity or irrigation, which significantly reduces sediment flow downstream. This situation intensifies the pressures on beaches already threatened by climate change-induced sea-level rise and storm-wave intensity, as well as coastal developments.
Strategies and Solutions
In terms of countermeasures, the report suggested several steps including reducing unnecessary construction, especially speculative and prestige projects, to optimize aggregates use. It also emphasizes better infrastructure maintenance and retrofitting, thereby lessening the ‘demolish-rebuild’ cycle. The adoption of alternative design and construction methods and, where possible, avoiding cement and concrete use are recommended. One of the central points raised is public awareness about sand as a limited resource, contrary to its perception as cheap and abundant.
The report also stressed the need for policy changes. They recommended strengthening standards and best practices to control irresponsible extraction and investing in sand production and consumption measurement, monitoring, and planning. Furthermore, promoting transparency and accountability through open dialogues and discussions is crucial.
