How a 21st century construction boom is driving unregulated sand mining around the world.

The messy business of sand mining

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The world’s cities are built on sand - massive amounts of sand. It’s in the concrete, in glass, and in tarmac laid on the roads. Much of it is mined unsustainably. Here’s a look at how it’s done and the impact on the environment. https://t.co/nFQm7dqsgv
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Sand is the planet’s most mined material, with some 50 billion tons extracted from lakes, riverbeds, coastlines and deltas each year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Per person, that’s more than an elephant’s weight in sand. (2/7) https://t.co/ykk9nBqDAe

Demand for sand has surged in the last two decades, thanks to urbanisation and construction in China, India and other fast-developing countries. China already has used more cement in 10 years than was used in the United States during the entire 20th century. (3/7) https://t.co/pq1TOwiJAh

It’s hard to imagine a shortage of sand in the world. But desert sand is useless for construction. The grains are too small and smooth for binding in concrete. The sand that’s ideally sized and shaped for construction comes from shorelines and the beds of rivers and lakes. (4/7) https://t.co/AWGKTmrCY0

Sand mining took off only decades ago. The damage from sand extraction can be seen clearly in satellite images, with coastlines eroded and ecosystems destroyed. (5/7) Alappad, India 🛰️📸 ©2019 Maxar Technologies https://t.co/9pj1KcgCBF

When rivers are dredged, the evidence can be hidden beneath the water until disaster occurs.
Local politicians blame the extraction of sand for undermining the foundations of the Mullarapatna Bridge, causing it to collapse. (6/7) 🛰️📸 Google, © 2018 CNES / Airbus https://t.co/JOqsbGlWMa

See more evidence and read about sand mining in this visual story. https://t.co/nFQm7dqsgv
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Information graphics from Thomson Reuters

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