Surging global demand for sand – driven by population and economic growth, and urbanization – is outpacing the sustainable supply of sand, threatening water and food security, climate resilience, biodiversity and development. 

The warning is detailed in a superb new UNEP report, Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development, which calls on governments and industry to recognize sand’s fundamental value not only to our societies and economies but also to nature and climate resilience – and fully factor these diverse values into sand governance. 

Sand is by far the largest extractive industry on Earth, with a staggering 50 billion tonnes being mined each year (primarily from the world’s freshwater and coastal wetlands) to meet demand for critical infrastructure projects – from concrete for buildings to tarmac for roads – which underpin modern societies, economies and development. 

Nature takes a long – very long – time to create sand through gradual, geological erosion processes. We are using up the supply far faster than it can be replenished. And our gargantuan extraction of sand is set to soar even higher with demand for the resource for buildings alone expected to rise by up to 45 per cent by 2060. 

“Sand is sometimes referred as the unrecognized hero of development, but its essential role in sustaining natural services that we depend on is even more overlooked,” said Pascal Peduzzi, Director of the UNEP Global Resource Information Database Geneva (GRID-Geneva). “Sand is our first line of defense against sea level rise, storm surges and salination of coastal aquifers, all hazards exacerbated by climate change.” 

And sand is critical for much more than that. 

The report highlights this fundamental tension: once extracted and transformed into concrete, asphalt, glass, etc., sand is effectively lost from natural systems (‘dead’ sand). In contrast, sand in rivers, deltas, and coastal zones (‘alive’ sand) continues to sustain the stability of our landscapes and essential ecosystem functions: filtering water, regulating river flows, protecting shorelines from erosion, maintaining deltas, preventing salinization of coastal aquifers, and sustaining biodiversity. 

“Sand also provides critical habitats for fish, bird, crabs and countless other species, and helps maintain ecological balance. Extract too much – as we are doing – and the results can be disastrous: lives and livelihoods lost as river and coastal erosion undermines buildings and infrastructure; families forced to migrate as deltas sink and shrink; water insecurity rises as the water table falls and salt water intrudes further inland; and food security worsens as fields flood and fisheries decline,” added Lee.  

UNEP’s third Sand and Sustainability report calls on governments and industry to recognize sand’s essential values to people, nature and climate – and treat it as a strategic resource that underpins our built environment and economic development, while sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. 

Sand: transformed and lost, or left to last 

Demand exists for sand in both its dead and alive forms, but these uses are in direct competition. Deciding whether to take it or leave it requires better data, mapping and monitoring to identify areas of high ecological value and access cumulative impact. It also calls for greater transparency in extraction permits, project approvals, and financing flows. 

Recognizing sand as an integral part of nature and an essential asset would require coordinated governance across sectors and scales, supported by long-term planning to balance supply needs with ecosystem protection. 

The report highlights evidence from parts of Africa and Southeast Asia where unsustainable sand extraction is causing supply shortages and resulting in both environmental degradation and growing opposition from affected communities whose livelihoods are also at risk. Data from the Marine Sand Watch shows about half of the dredging companies are operating within Marine Protected Areas, accounting for 15% of the volume dredged Ensuring that protection translates into meaningful ecological outcomes will require robust impact assessments, transparent decision-making, and effective long-term monitoring to prevent MPAs from becoming de facto extraction zones. 

Early and coordinated intervention on sand sustainability remains possible and cost-effective. As a globally used resource, addressing sand sustainability would require enhanced regional coordination and, possibly, global governance mechanisms. The report also calls on countries to develop national and sectorial roadmaps for responsible sand management, building on existing tools. 

The report, co-written by 27 experts from across the world, concludes with actionable policy measures and an assessment tool to support more sustainable sand management at local, national, and regional levels. Be it for development or nature, sand is an essential resource for our future, we need to choose wisely and use it with care. 

PHOTO CREDITS – Cover photo – © WWF-Viet Nam / Cham Team