One of the planet’s most essential natural resources, under siege
Often seen as merely a complimentary ingredient of beach vacations, sand is considered by many as an afterthought.
Yet those seemingly insignificant grains surround almost every single aspect of our lives, from skyscrapers to airplanes, from wine to computer chips, to optical fiber, cell phones, toothpaste, and almost everything in between.
But sand is not an infinite resource, and the planet’s gigantic demand for it is threatening its very existence. From illegal sand mining to sand smuggling to construction booms that put a bounty on gathering illegal sand, "Sand Wars" investigates this modern day “gold rush,” one that poses a real danger to humans, and the environment, around every corner of the globe.
COASTAL CARE | SAND MINING DATABASE
Sand is only second to water in terms of global raw material usage, but its usage surpasses rates of renewal.
The Coastal Care Sand Mining Database tracks sand mining across coastal countries around the world. Click here to explore how usage is affecting different regions: http://coastalcare.org/sand-mining-database/
NASA | VISIBLE EARTH
As the demand for sand continues rising, countries like China have banned sand mining operations in certain areas, to curtail the effects it was having on rivers.
NASA satellite images show how the Yangtze River dredging changed the river’s shape, prompting authorities to forbid dredging in certain areas of the water body: https://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=87663
Sand Mining at Poyang Lake
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
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