Rethink sand use, move to circular economy: UNEP
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Environment
- Published
27th Apr, 2022
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Context
The world needs to rethink the extraction and use of sand, the second-most used resource globally, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlighted in a new report.
The Report
- Title: Sand and Sustainability: 10 strategic recommendations to avert a crisis.
- Released by: The report is released by UNEP’s Global Resource Information Database-Geneva team.
How much sand is getting used (or exploited)?
- Around 50 billion tonnes of sand and gravel is used every year, which is enough to build a wall 27 metres wide and 27 metres high around Earth.
- Sand is being used faster than it can be naturally replenished, so its responsible management is crucial.
Sand utilisation
- Sand is basically made of unconsolidated granular materials consisting of either rock fragments or mineral particles or oceanic materials.
- It is mainly made of silicate minerals and silicate rock granular particles.
- The entire society is built on sand. It is the world’s most consumed raw material after water.
- Primary substance: Sand is the primary substance used in the construction of roads, bridges, high-speed trains and even land regeneration projects.
- Glass production: Sand, gravel and rock crushed together are melted down to make the glass used in every window, computer screen and smart phone.
- o Even the production of silicon chips uses sand.
- Everywhere: It’s used to make food, wine, toothpaste, glass, microprocessors, beauty care products, paper, paint and plastics
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Impact of extraction of soil
- Extracting sand where it plays an active role, such as rivers and coastal or marine ecosystems, can cause a series of damages to the environment.
- The damages include:
- Erosion
- Salination of aquifers
- Loss of protection against storm surges
- Impacts on biodiversity
- These challenges pose a threat to livelihoods through water supply, food production, fisheries, or to the tourism industry.
