Desert Sand could be the next bonanza for desert countries

Researchers have developed a new construction material that, unlike concrete, can be made from round grains of desert sand. Finding an alternative to conventional concrete sand would relieve environmental pressure around the world. But it would be a tragedy if the discovery of the usefulness of this readily available commodity led to an unregulated gold rush.

Time is running out for sand

Sand and gravel are being extracted faster than they can be replaced. Monitor and manage this resource globally.

Sand mafias silence journalists in India

Up to 50 billion metric tons of sand and gravel are extracted every year worldwide. The inexhaustible need for sand from this rapidly-developing country is the breeding ground for illegal activities by what has come to be known as the “sand mafias”.

Demand for sand: the largest mining industry no one talks about

The world’s largest and perhaps most destructive mining industry is rarely discussed. Approximately 85 percent of all material mined from the earth is a simple and widely available resource: sand. Because it is so cheap and readily available, it is mined by everyone from guy with a shovel, to multi-million dollar machine operations.