United Nations Environment Programme has released a new report that recommends solutions to improve sand management
The extraction and use of sand is a problem that the world must rethink, as it is the second most used resource in the world, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The report released by UNEP’s Global Resource Information Database-Geneva team April 26, 2022 provides necessary guidance gathered from world experts to switch to improved practices for the extraction and management of soil.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, sand extraction can cause numerous environmental damages. Sand extraction is done where it plays an active role such as in rivers or coastal or marine ecosystems. Sand and Sustainability: 10 strategic suggestions to avoid a crisis. The damages include:
- Erosion
- Salination of aquifers
- Storm surge protection lost
- Impacts on biodiversity
The report stated that these issues pose a threat to livelihoods in the areas of water supply, food production, or tourism.
UNEP estimates that 50 billion tonnes of sand or gravel are used each year. This is enough to build a wall 27m wide by 27m high. The UNEP stated that sand is being used more quickly than it can be replenished naturally, and responsible management is essential.
The authors of the report stated that sand must be recognized as a strategic resource. This is not only because it is used in construction but also because of its multiple roles in the environment.
They stressed that governments, industries and consumers should price sand in a way that recognises its true social and environmental value.
The report recommended that sand extraction from beaches be stopped because of its importance for coastal resilience, the economy, and the environment. It is the “most cost-effective strategy for adapting to climate change due to how it protects against storm surges and impacts from sea level rise”, the body observed.
UNEP recommended in the report that an international standard for the extraction of sand from the marine environment be established. This could lead to significant improvements, as most marine dredging takes place through public tenders that are open to international companies.
The need for new institutional and legal structures for better governance of the resource and involvement of stakeholders and need for “place-based approaches” for better management of the resource, the report underlined.
Pascal Peduzzi, director at GRID-Geneva, and overall coordinator of this report’s programme, stated:
Sustainable development requires fundamental changes in the way we produce, consume, and build products, infrastructures, and services. Our sand resources can be limited, and we need not waste them. We can avoid a crisis by learning how to manage the most valuable solid material in the world and move towards a circular economy.
Sand provides “breeding grounds for diverse flora and fauna, and it also plays a vital function in supporting biodiversity, including marine plants that act as carbon sinks or filter water”, the report said, stressing why sand is important for sustaining life on earth.
There are many solutions for moving towards a circular economy of sand. These include banning the disposal of mineral waste and encouraging the reuse of sand in public procurement contracts.
Alternatives to sand like crushed rock or recycled construction and demolition material, as well as ‘ore-sand’ from mine-tailings can also help in the transition, the authors noted.
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