The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Tuesday released a report, Sand and Sustainability: Finding new solutions for environmental governance of global sand resources, that highlights a problem that has largely stayed under the radar: sand consumption globally has been increasing and we are extracting it at rates exceeding natural replenishment rates. While 85% to 90% of global sand demand is met from quarries, and sand and gravel pits, the 10% to 15% extracted from rivers and sea shores is a severe concern due the environmental and social impacts. The report notes that China and India head the list of critical hotspots for sand extraction impacts in rivers, lakes and on coastlines. India and China lead in global infrastructure construction, the report says. The report concludes with a call for large-scale multipronged actions from global to local levels, involving public, private and civil society organisations.

Source: The Hindu May 07, 2019 18:51 UTC