Source: Down to Earth (DTE)
Context:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a landmark report titled “Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development”, calling global attention to one of the world’s most under-regulated yet most-extracted resources. The report emphasises that sand is the most extracted solid material on Earth — second only to water in terms of global consumption. Driven by rapid urbanisation, infrastructure booms, population growth, climate-adaptation construction, and technology demand, global sand consumption surged from 9.6 billion tonnes in 1970 to 50 billion tonnes annually by 2020.
Key Highlights
- Publisher: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
- Core finding: Sand is the most extracted solid material on Earth, second only to water in global consumption.
- Surging demand: Global consumption rose from 9.6 billion tonnes (1970) to 50 billion tonnes annually (2020), at an average annual growth of 3.2%.
- Urban expansion: Average built-up area per person rose from 43 sq m (1975) to 63 sq m (2025).
- Economic value: Global sand market valued at $569.4 billion in 2024.
- Livelihood stake: Around 2.3 billion people depend on small-scale fisheries supported by healthy sandy ecosystems.
Why is sand demand surging?
| Driver | Example |
|---|---|
| Rapid urbanisation (45%+ live in cities) | Land reclamation in Manila Bay, Maldives |
| Infrastructure development | India’s PMAY, highway expansion |
| Population growth (8.2 billion in 2025) | Mass housing in developing nations |
| Climate adaptation | Gulhifalhu (Maldives) — 24.5 million cubic metres dredged |
| Technology demand | Silicon for semiconductors, solar panels, data centres |
Major ecological impacts: riverine degradation, groundwater depletion, biodiversity loss, saline-water intrusion, occupational health hazards (silicosis, malaria).
Initiatives:
| Level | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Global | UNEP 10-Point Action Plan; Marine Sand Watch (AIS-based vessel monitoring) |
| India | Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines (2016); Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines (2020); NGT bans on mining without Environmental Clearance (EC) |
About the News
What is the “Sand and Sustainability” report?
A landmark UNEP report titled “Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development” that comprehensively documents the scale, drivers, ecological impacts, and governance gaps of global sand extraction, and outlines a 10-Point Action Plan for sustainable use.
What is Sand Mining?
Sand mining is the extraction of sand from sources such as riverbeds, beaches, and the seabed, primarily for use in construction, land reclamation, and manufacturing. It includes dredging of marine and riverine sand.
Why is sand so critical globally?
Because sand is a foundational input for: (a) Construction — concrete, mortar, glass. (b) Land reclamation — building new urban or industrial land. (c) Manufacturing — silicon-based industries (semiconductors, solar panels). (d) Climate adaptation — sea walls, artificial islands.
It is the second-most-consumed natural material globally after water.
How much sand is the world consuming today?
Global consumption has surged from 9.6 billion tonnes in 1970 to 50 billion tonnes annually in 2020, growing at about 3.2% per year. The global sand market was valued at $569.4 billion in 2024.
What are the major drivers of rising sand demand?
(a) Rapid urbanisation (over 45% of the world is urban). (b) Infrastructure development — highways, housing, smart cities. (c) Population growth — 8.2 billion in 2025. (d) Climate adaptation — sea walls and raised islands (e.g., Maldives). (e) Technological demand — semiconductors, solar panels, data centres.
What ecological impacts does sand mining cause?
(a) Riverine degradation — bed lowering, bank collapse (e.g., Chambal). (b) Groundwater depletion — falling water tables as river sand acts like a sponge. (c) Biodiversity loss — destruction of benthic habitats; half of global dredging firms operate within Marine Protected Areas. (d) Saline-water intrusion — coastal sand stripping lets seawater into aquifers (e.g., Philippines). (e) Health risks — silicosis for workers; malaria in unreclaimed mining pits.
How does sand mining affect livelihoods?
Around 2.3 billion people depend on small-scale fisheries supported by healthy sandy ecosystems — coastal, riverine, and estuarine. Aggressive dredging destroys spawning grounds and benthic biodiversity, undermining food security and informal-sector livelihoods.
What is the UNEP 10-Point Action Plan?
A global framework recommending standards for sand extraction, circular-economy alternatives (using recycled aggregates, manufactured sand, demolition debris), reduction of unnecessary use, recognition of sand as a strategic resource, and transparent data and reporting.
What is Marine Sand Watch?
A digital monitoring platform developed by UNEP/GRID-Geneva that uses AIS (Automatic Identification System) data from large-scale dredging vessels to monitor marine sand extraction across the world’s oceans in near-real time — improving transparency and enforcement.
What are India’s main regulatory instruments?
(a) Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines (2016) — mandates District Survey Reports (DSRs) to assess replenishment rates before mining. (b) Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines (2020) — uses remote sensing, GPS, and QR-coded transit passes to curb illegal mining. (c) National Green Tribunal (NGT) — active judicial intervention halting mining without Environmental Clearance (EC).
Background Concepts
What is the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)?
The UN Environment Programme is the leading global environmental authority within the UN system. Established in 1972 following the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, it is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP sets the global environmental agenda, promotes coherent implementation of environmental dimensions of sustainable development, and publishes flagship reports like the Emissions Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, and Sand and Sustainability.
Why can’t desert sand be used for construction?
Although abundant, desert sand grains are too smooth, rounded, and uniform because they have been wind-eroded over millennia. Construction-grade sand needs angular, rough-edged grains (typically from rivers, lakes, or crushed rock) so they can bind well with cement. This is why even desert-rich Gulf countries import sand for construction.
What are the main types of sand?
(a) River sand — most prized for concrete (angular, clean). (b) Marine/sea sand — needs desalination for concrete use. (c) Desert sand — unsuitable for concrete (too smooth). (d) Manufactured sand (M-sand) — produced by crushing rock; an emerging sustainable alternative. (e) Silica sand — high-purity, used for glass, semiconductors, solar panels.
What is “Manufactured Sand (M-Sand)”?
M-Sand is sand produced by crushing hard granite stones into the required size and shape. It is a regulated, consistent, and sustainable alternative to natural river sand — reducing pressure on rivers, lowering wastage, and offering better quality control.
What is the National Green Tribunal (NGT)?
A specialised judicial body established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, for the effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. The NGT has played a key role in halting illegal sand mining and enforcing Environmental Clearance (EC) norms.
What is Environmental Clearance (EC) and EIA?
Environmental Clearance (EC) is a mandatory permission required for certain categories of projects (including sand mining above thresholds) under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 of the MoEFCC. The EIA is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project — covering public consultation, screening, scoping, and post-clearance monitoring.
What is “Silica Sand”, and how is it different from “Silicon”?
Silica sand is sand composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) — typically quartz. It is the raw material for glass, foundries, hydraulic fracturing, and semiconductors. Silicon (Si), by contrast, is a chemical element extracted from silica through industrial refining and used in chips, solar panels, and electronics.
What is “Silicosis”?
A fatal occupational lung disease caused by inhaling fine crystalline silica dust — common among workers in stone-crushing, sand mining, mining-quarrying, fracking, and construction. It is incurable and progressive, leading to fibrosis of the lungs.
What is a “Benthic Habitat”?
The ecological zone at the lowest level of a water body — including river beds, lake floors, and ocean bottoms. Benthic habitats host fish, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and microorganisms that form the base of aquatic food chains. Sand dredging destroys these habitats irreversibly.
What is “Circular Economy” in the context of construction?
A model in which construction materials are reused, recycled, and recovered rather than extracted, used, and discarded. Examples include using construction and demolition (C&D) waste, recycled aggregates, fly ash, slag, and manufactured sand to reduce primary extraction of natural sand and stone.
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to the UNEP “Sand and Sustainability” report, consider the following statements:
- Sand is the most extracted solid material on Earth, second only to water in global consumption.
- Global sand consumption rose from about 9.6 billion tonnes in 1970 to 50 billion tonnes annually by 2020.
- The global sand market was valued at over $569 billion in 2024.
- Approximately 2.3 billion people depend on small-scale fisheries supported by sandy ecosystems.
How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
Q2. Consider the following statements about the ecological impacts of sand mining:
- Excessive river-bed mining can cause bank collapse and downstream flooding.
- Removal of riverine sand can lead to a drop in groundwater tables in nearby areas.
- Coastal sand stripping can facilitate saline-water intrusion into freshwater aquifers.
- Sand mining has been shown to enhance benthic biodiversity in dredged zones.
Which of the above are correct? (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 2 and 4 only (c) 2, 3 and 4 only (d) 1 and 4 only (e) All four
Q3. With reference to initiatives on sand governance, consider the following statements:
- The UNEP 10-Point Action Plan promotes circular-economy alternatives to virgin sand extraction.
- Marine Sand Watch uses AIS data to monitor large-scale marine dredging vessels.
- India’s Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016 mandate the preparation of District Survey Reports (DSRs).
- India’s Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines, 2020 introduced tools like QR-coded transit passes and remote sensing.
Which of the above are correct? (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 2 and 4 only (c) 2, 3 and 4 only (d) 1 and 4 only (e) All four
Q4. Consider the following statements about sand and its broader environmental context:
- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
- Desert sand is highly suitable for construction-grade concrete because of its abundance.
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
- Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust.
Which of the above are correct? (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2, 3 and 4 only (d) 1 and 4 only (e) All four
Answer Key
- (d) — All four statements are correct.
- (a) — Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct. Statement 4 is wrong: sand mining destroys benthic habitats, causing loss of biodiversity, not its enhancement.
- (e) — All four statements are correct.
- (b) — Statements 1, 3, 4 are correct. Statement 2 is wrong: desert sand is unsuitable for construction-grade concrete because its grains are too smooth and rounded (wind-eroded) to bind with cement; this is why even desert-rich Gulf nations import sand for construction.
Exam Relevance
| Exam | Relevance |
|---|---|
| UPSC Prelims | GS Paper I — Geography (Resources); GS Paper III — Environment, Conservation, Pollution |
| UPSC Mains | GS Paper III — Environment, Sustainable development, EIA, NGT; GS Paper II — International organisations (UNEP) |
| BPSC / State PCS | Environment, Mining sector, Government regulation, Current Affairs |
| Banking (RBI Gr B, SBI PO, IBPS, NABARD) | ESG, sustainable finance, mining sector economy |
| SSC / Insurance / Railway | Static + Current GK on UNEP, NGT, EIA, sand mining |
