50bn tonnes of sand and gravel extracted each year, finds UN study

theguardian.com:

Humans extract 50bn tonnes of sand and gravel every year, according to UN research, enough to build a wall 27 metres high by 27 metres wide around the planet.

Sand is the most-exploited resource after water. But unlike water, it is not recognised as a key strategic resource by governments and industry, something, the UN says, that must change and fast. The UN report makes the case for greater monitoring of extraction and supply chains, measures to compensate for the associated loss of animal and plant species as well as the uneven social and economic impacts of sand mining.

Given the extent and growing awareness of human reliance on sand for economic development in industries, ranging from construction to IT manufacturing and a number of other booming sectors, the researchers said a fundamental shift in the understanding and valuation of sand was urgently needed. “If our entire development depends on sand, it should be recognised as a strategic material,” said Pascal Peduzzi, director of the Global Resource Information Database of the UN Environment Programme and lead author of the report.

Sand extraction takes a number of different forms, from the dredging of lakes and rivers to various kinds of land mining and the crushing of rock, and is carried out by both large firms and individuals with rudimentary tools. The current rate of activity far outstrips that at which naturally occurring sand reserves can be replenished. An international standard on extraction is needed, the report said, if the material is to be regulated effectively and governed equitably. Among its recommendations are the establishment of legal frameworks for mineral ownership of aggregates. “The aim is to shift the focus on to sand as a commodity and a