Sand is the most extracted solid material by volume, with annual consumption of 50 billion tonnes. Demand continues to rise due to construction, urbanisation, and the energy transition. Yet sand is also vital to nature, providing essential ecosystem services such as habitat provision and coastal protection.

Without proper recognition of sand’s strategic value to both society and the environment, resource management remains fragmented, leading to serious impacts: mega infrastructure projects such as the new Manila airport have stalled due to difficulties in sourcing sand; coral reefs in the Maldives have been destroyed by coastal development; and extensive sand mining in the Mekong River Basin has caused riverbank erosion and collapse of fish habitats.

UNEP/GRID-Geneva, particularly with the evidence-based Sand and Sustainability publication series, has and would continue to raise awareness and inform integrated and biodiversity-sensitive global sand governance across sectors and governance levels. Since the recognition of the findings of 1st report in 2019, Member States have been calling for further action for sustainable sand management, and strengthened technical, scientific, and policy knowledge, and information on existing good practices relevant to environmental aspects, as reflected in resolutions of UNEA 4, 5 and 6.

Yet, knowledge and data gaps remain significant, particularly in extraction volumes, life-cycle-wide biodiversity impacts, and ecosystem-wide consequences, especially in the Global South, and there is an urgent need to close the gaps in:

• Recognition of sand’s full strategic value for society and the environment
• The knowledge base and capacity in impact mapping, monitoring, and restoration practices
• Policies and incentives for responsible and sustainable resource planning, sourcing and solutions
• Integration of sand resource management with biodiversity protection policies and climate change goals

UNEP’s triennial Sand and Sustainability report has evolved from identifying the sand resource challenge (1st report) to offering stakeholder-focused recommendations (2nd report). The third edition launched on this occasion underscores sand’s strategic value, and new research areas include:

1. Reframing sand as a strategic resource beyond a construction commodity, by recognising its ecological, economic and societal values, in ecosystem services, livelihoods, infrastructure development and energy transition.
2. Identifying knowledge and data gaps in biodiversity impacts, and the need for better impact mapping, planning, monitoring, and restoration.
3. Adopting full life cycle approach to decision-making, covering sand extraction, use, post-construction waste management, recycling, and repurposing materials.
4. Policy alignment and markets incentive to improve planning and forecast to align development goals and resource availability, and ensure sustainable sourcing.

Light refreshments will be provided.