The Economist explains: Why there is a shortage of sand
It may be plentiful, but so is the demand for it.
Over 9 million metric tonnes of beach sand was illegally mined, Tamil Nadu
Despite a ban on mining of beach sand since 2013, illicit mining and transportation of beach sand continued on a massive scale. A court filing reports that in 2013, over 90 lakh tonnes (9 million metric tonnes) of beach sand had been mined from 2 districts located at the southernmost tip of peninsular India, in Tamil Nadu State.
Line in the sand, Video
The world is running low on sand. It’s a basic ingredient in construction – think skyscrapers, shopping malls, roads and windows – and cities are growing faster and bigger than at any time in history. Legal supply can’t keep up. So now organised criminals are hitting pay dirt, pillaging millions of tonnes of sand from the India’s beaches, riverbeds and hillsides.
Samoa: Beach sand mining is aggravating coastal erosion in Upolu
In the Samoan island of Upolu, a villager is reporting seeing myriads of trucks loaded with sand mined from local beaches.
Company makes new iron sand mining attempt
A plan to mine iron sands off the South Taranaki coast is back on the table.
North Stradbroke Island sand mining to end by 2019
Sand mining will come to an end on North Stradbroke Island by 2019, reversing a decision by the former Newman administration to extend Sibelco’s lease to 2035.
Fraser Island tourism is proof Straddie will survive sand mining exit
Former Australian’s prime minister Malcolm Fraser, began the process of ending sand mining on Fraser Island in 1976, which finally succeeded in 1996 when the island was listed as a World Heritage site.
Cronulla’s sand dunes survived Mad Max but now face a more insidious threat
The once vast sand dunes in Sydney’s south have been farmed, trimmed down by sandmining, filmed and eroded by wind and rain. Now they face encroaching housing developments
When The Beach Fell Into The Sea, North Stradbroke Island, Australia
A section of beach that fell into the sea on North Stradbroke Island is starting to reappear.The “rapid beach erosion event” swallowed up an estimated 100m section of the beach.