SAND: A Resource That’s Washing Away

Sand. It's under our feet when we walk on a beach, and is in every house and road, wine glass and cellphone, brick and can of paint. But we rarely spare a thought for this seemingly endless resource. That needs to change, according to a 2019 report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Sand and Sustainability: Finding New Solutions for Environmental Governance of Global Sand Resources. Researchers are finding that even an apparently ubiquitous substance like sand cannot keep up with current demand. Around the world, 40 to 50 billion tons of sand and gravel are used every year, the equivalent of a 35 m high by 35 m wide wall circling the equator.