par Olivia Le Poidevin
The growth in global demand for sand, fueled by a construction sector that keeps pace with the rapid pace of urbanization, is putting many ecosystems and local communities at risk, according to a report published Tuesday by the United Nations (UN).
Around 50 billion tonnes of sand are used each year in the construction sector and for a variety of other applications, and demand for sand is expected to double by 2060 if current trends continue – a faster rate than that of stock replenishment.
In its report, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) recalls that sand is the most exploited natural resource in the world after water, while noting that its use is essentially unregulated.
UNEP adds that sand is being consumed faster than it can be renewed by geological processes that take hundreds of thousands of years.
According to UNEP, unsustainable sand mining not only causes environmental degradation in areas with essential habitats for fish, turtles, birds and crabs, but also disrupts local communities located near the operations.
The depletion of terrestrial sand resources favors the use of dredging at sea, continues the UNEP report, which notes that half of dredging companies carry out their activities in marine protected areas (MPAs).
Sand is taken from natural ecosystems and turns into “dead sand” when it is mined and made into concrete, asphalt and glass – instead of being used to filter water and protect coastlines from erosion, the report says.
“Sand is our first line of defense against sea level rise, storm surges and salinization of coastal aquifers – all risks exacerbated by climate change,” said Pascal Peduzzi, director of the Global Sand Resources Database. UNEP, Geneva.
The UNEP report also notes growing interest in mining magnetite sand, sometimes called “black sand” and which contains valuable minerals, in regions such as Southeast Asia and Latin America.
UNEP calls for strengthening governance, in particular through the establishment of national sand inventories and better recognition of sand as a strategic resource.
(French version Benoit Van Overstraeten, edited by Blandine Hénault)
