FT Rethink
Curbing the great sand grab
Up to 50 billion tonnes of sand a year is being mined, dredged and even stolen to satisfy the global appetite for infrastructure, according to the UN, and it’s disappearing faster than it can be replenished. The plunder cuts biodiversity, destroys fishing communities, and increases the risk of flooding. Curbing the problem could include improved governance or finding alternative materials, but there are no simple answers.
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