The International Science Panel notes that “taken together, human actions are undermining and challenging the fundamental processes that underpin a habitable biosphere and Earth system resilience”. It warns: “It can no longer be taken for granted that the planet will be able to continue to support human well-being and development.”
Sand is among the natural resources we are indiscriminately extracting at a global scale. As the primary raw material for concrete, asphalt and glass, it plays a critical role in societies and economies as the most used solid natural resource.
A study in Science found that “between 1900 and 2010, the global volume of natural resources used in buildings and transport infrastructure increased 23-fold. Sand and gravel are the largest portion of these primary material inputs”. Sand is also used to reclaim land along coastlines for development purposes or to create new islands.
Today, the largest global-mining endeavour is sand extraction. In the last two decades, its use has tripled. Commonly dredged from rivers, excavated from coastlines, and mined, an estimated 50 billion tonnes of sand and gravel are being extracted every year — enough to build a wall 27 metres high and 27m wide around the planet, according to UNEP. Sadly, sand is harvested much faster than it can be naturally replenished. Its unsustainable mining has serious implications for the environment and ecosystems.
A lucrative business is endangering ecosystems. By 2050, about 70 per cent of the world’s projected 10 billion people will live in urban areas. In the most populous regions of Asia and Africa, urbanisation and infrastructure development will multiply pressure on sand mining.
As the second most-used resource after water, sand is already a prized commodity and selling sand is a lucrative business, particularly in South Asia.
However, it is not a question of sand use for development only. Sand is also critical to nature and sustains biodiversity and wetlands, while protecting water supply and river flows. By maintaining river structures, sand supports fisheries and the people dependent on it. It protects mangroves against coastal erosion by keeping deltas above the rising seas and prevents salination of aquifers by serving as natural water filtration.
Several nations have framed sand strategies and policies, with some banning extraction from rivers. But in developing regions, particularly in several parts of Asia, sand has fallen through the cracks of policy regulation. Most often, it is exploited as an open access resource. Unregulated sand mining is playing havoc with the environment.
Riverbeds are the most common source of sand mining, resulting in decimated rivers, lowered water tables, damaged floodplains and lost habitats. Coastal ecosystems too are destroyed. Due to excessive sand mining, deltas are shrinking, and salinization is increasing, leading to loss of biodiversity and livelihoods.
However, the lack of strict regulatory mechanisms makes it easy for violators to continue dredging riverbeds. Mountains too are falling victim to sand quarrying and gravel mining. In the process, hillocks are disappearing in several areas, getting crushed into sand and gravel. A portion of the hills adjacent to Margalla National Park is diminishing fast to meet the demands of construction.
To raise awareness of the scale and impact of sand extraction, UNEP’s evidence-based report Sand and Sustainability highlights the links between sand, the environment and the SDGs. It recommends that sand be classified as a ‘strategic resource’ and calls for its sustainable extraction to avoid environmental destruction. The report’s other recommendations include mapping and monitoring sand resources, developing policies, and enacting laws to minimise overexploitation and regulate sand harvesting in a sustainable manner. It also makes a case for circularity in sand use.
After remaining below the radar of most governments, sand extraction is now on the agenda of top policymakers including the UN Environment Assembly, which adopted two resolutions on the subject at its last session.
Climate-vulnerable countries like Pakistan can ill afford to expose their already fragile ecosystems to serious damage by overexploitation of sand. Consultative engagement with local authorities, communities and other stakeholders is essential for adopting a regulatory mechanism for sustainable sand harvesting.
A Guest Editorial