Today UNEP published the report "Sand and sustainable development: 10 policy recommendations for crisis prevention". The report contains recommendations from world experts on the transition to improved mining and sand management practices.
Sand mining where it plays an important role, such as in riverine, coastal and marine ecosystems, can lead to erosion, salinization of aquifers, vulnerability to storms, loss of biodiversity. All these factors pose a threat to the livelihoods of local communities: for water supply, food production, fishing or the tourism industry.
The report proposes to develop an international standard for offshore sand mining. This could lead to a significant improvement in the situation, since most offshore dredging is carried out on the basis of government tenders open to international companies. The report also recommends a ban on sand mining on beaches due to their importance to coastal sustainability, the environment and the economy.
"Our resources of sand are finite and we must use them wisely. If we can figure out how to manage the most extracted hard material in the world, we can avert the crisis and move towards a circular economy,” said Pascal Peduzzi, UNEP report coordinator.
Under threat: infrastructure, food and nature
Sand is critical to economic development, essential for concrete production and the construction of vital infrastructure, from homes and roads to hospitals. Sand also plays an important role in supporting biodiversity, providing habitat for fauna and flora, including marine plants that absorb carbon and filter water.
Sand is therefore critical to sustainable development and to overcoming the "triple crisis" of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
Circular economy
There are several solutions to move towards a circular economy in sand mining, including a ban on landfilling of mineral waste or encouraging the reuse of sand in public procurement contracts. The authors of the report also advise the use of various alternatives to sand - crushed stone, recycled building materials and sand from iron ore enrichment waste.
