Sand Mining

Beach Sand mining on the beach in Morocco View Sand Mining Gallery

The world’s beaches are being mined for sand for a variety of uses (aggregate in concrete, fill, beach renourishment). The practice is often very destructive and poorly managed (or unmanaged). This is a global phenomenon (Morocco, Caribbean Islands, India, South Africa and more). This theft of beach and dune sand is a direct cause of erosion along many shorelines. It is very damaging to the beach fauna and flora, ruinous to beach aesthetics, and frequently causes environmental damage to other coastal ecosystems associated with the beach such as wetlands.

Another major impact of beach sand mining is the loss of protection from storms surges associated with tropical cyclones and tsunamis. Some communities affected by the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean had higher storm surges probably due to beach sand mining resulting in fatalities. Sometimes it is difficult to tell that a beach has been mined. Sand extraction becomes difficult to recognize as the beach readjusts to a new profile after a few storms. But historic accounts of beaches in the Caribbean often reveal that beaches have been narrowed considerably. Mining is particularly senseless in a time of rising sea level when sand is sorely needed as a storm energy buffer.


Surfing in / Sand Mining

Supreme Court Asked to Halt Black Sand Mining, Philippines

black-shore-philippines
News, Sand Mining
May
10

To prevent further destruction of the coastline, public officials and concerned citizens filed with the Supreme Court to issue a writ against a mining project to extract black sand.

No comments

Former Sand Mining Site Being Considered for up to 2000 Homes, New South Wales

kurnel-sand-dunes
News, Sand Mining
Apr
24

The Kurnell sand dune system is estimated to be about 15,000 years old, and sand mining on the Kurnell peninsula has depleted the area of much of the sand that was originally there. A former mining site, is now considered for housing up to 2000 homes.. a disaster in waiting environmentalists said.

No comments

Newspaper Editor Charged For Sand Mining

la-sagesse-grenade
News, Sand Mining
Apr
24

A Grenadian Newspaper editor, who has used his newspaper to expose what he sees as corruption in Grenada, has been arrested and charged for illegally extracting sand from the beaches…

No comments

Lagos ready to battle illegal sand miners, Nigeria

sand-collector
News, Sand Mining
Apr
16

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday said the government had no choice but to wage “serious war” against illegal sand miners in the state.

No comments

Sand Mining Throughout Coastal Liberia

monrovia

The city of Buchanan, Liberia, is gradually being swept away by sea erosion. But there is an even more serious matter – an impending environmental danger- that should claim the urgent attention of the government. It is the issue of sand mining in Monrovia and its environs.

No comments

Council Votes To End Sand Mining, Barbuda

barbuda-sand

The Barbuda Council has voted to end beach sand mining, bowing to pressure from within its ranks and environmentalists, after several reports indicated that the operation posed serious health and safety risks.

1 comment

Land Lost to Sand Dredging

mekong-sand-barge
News, Sand Mining
Mar
28

Cambodia has struggled with the environmental cost of sand mining from its rivers, and villagers who live along the banks of the Mekong River say that the land on which their houses are built is collapsing into the river because of the dredging.

No comments

Illegal Dredging Causes Major Problems, Vietnam

vietnam-sand-dredger
News, Sand Mining
Mar
28

Unchecked and illegal sand dredging have been attributed to severe landslide that washed away houses into the Dong Nai River, in the South Central Coastal region of Vietnam.

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Barbuda Sandmining Nears Disaster Levels

beach-sand-mining
News, Sand Mining
Mar
24

There have been renewed calls for an end to sand mining operations in Barbuda, as this activity has reached a stage that could spell an environmental disaster for Barbuda island..

No comments

Sand Mining

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  • Recent / Sand Mining

    Supreme Court Asked to Halt Black Sand Mining, Philippines

    black-shore-philippines

    May 10th, 2012

    To prevent further destruction of the coastline, public officials and concerned citizens filed with the Supreme Court to issue a writ against a mining project to extract black sand.

    Read More

    Former Sand Mining Site Being Considered for up to 2000 Homes, New South Wales

    kurnel-sand-dunes

    April 24th, 2012

    The Kurnell sand dune system is estimated to be about 15,000 years old, and sand mining on the Kurnell peninsula has depleted the area of much of the sand that was originally there. A former mining site, is now considered for housing up to 2000 homes.. a disaster in waiting environmentalists said.

    Read More

    Newspaper Editor Charged For Sand Mining

    la-sagesse-grenade

    April 24th, 2012

    A Grenadian Newspaper editor, who has used his newspaper to expose what he sees as corruption in Grenada, has been arrested and charged for illegally extracting sand from the beaches…

    Read More

    Lagos ready to battle illegal sand miners, Nigeria

    sand-collector

    April 16th, 2012

    The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday said the government had no choice but to wage “serious war” against illegal sand miners in the state.

    Read More

    Sand Mining Throughout Coastal Liberia

    monrovia

    April 5th, 2012

    The city of Buchanan, Liberia, is gradually being swept away by sea erosion. But there is an even more serious matter – an impending environmental danger- that should claim the urgent attention of the government. It is the issue of sand mining in Monrovia and its environs.

    Read More

    Council Votes To End Sand Mining, Barbuda

    barbuda-sand

    April 3rd, 2012

    The Barbuda Council has voted to end beach sand mining, bowing to pressure from within its ranks and environmentalists, after several reports indicated that the operation posed serious health and safety risks.

    Read More

    Land Lost to Sand Dredging

    mekong-sand-barge

    March 28th, 2012

    Cambodia has struggled with the environmental cost of sand mining from its rivers, and villagers who live along the banks of the Mekong River say that the land on which their houses are built is collapsing into the river because of the dredging.

    Read More

    Illegal Dredging Causes Major Problems, Vietnam

    vietnam-sand-dredger

    March 28th, 2012

    Unchecked and illegal sand dredging have been attributed to severe landslide that washed away houses into the Dong Nai River, in the South Central Coastal region of Vietnam.

    Read More

    Barbuda Sandmining Nears Disaster Levels

    beach-sand-mining

    March 24th, 2012

    There have been renewed calls for an end to sand mining operations in Barbuda, as this activity has reached a stage that could spell an environmental disaster for Barbuda island..

    Read More

    Dubai’s Staggering Growth

    dubai-nasa

    March 17th, 2012

    To expand the possibilities for beachfront development, Dubai undertook a massive and controversial engineering project to create hundreds of artificial islands along its Persian Gulf coastline. Built from sand dredged from the sea floor, the islands are shaped in recognizable forms such as palm trees. The construction of the various islands off the coast of Dubai has resulted in changes in area wildlife, coastal erosion and alongshore sediment transport, and wave patterns.

    Read More