Could We Run Out of Sand for Eroded Beaches?
With king tides, persistent winds and large waves from Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Joaquin making erosion particularly bad this year, the demand for sand is high – but is it possible we could run out?
The Sand Thieves of Larache, Northern Morocco
Trois jours par semaine, les travailleurs de Larache, au Maroc, amènent des bulldo-zers sur la plage et prennent autant de sable qu’ils le peuvent. Quoique leurs patrons disposent de permis, ils viennent aussi en toute illégalité les week-ends, se servant d’ânes et de pelles pour ravager un peu plus le paysage.
Sand Dredging: Let’s Save Brittany’s Shores, France
Brittany’s shores are in peril. A large-scale offshore sand dredging project, where hundreds of m3 of sand are going to be extracted, is about to become a devastating reality. Be the Change Petition: “Sand Dredging: Let’s Save Brittany’s Shores.”
Decree Granting Sand Mining Concession Has Been Signed – Environmentalist Group Will Appeal
The decree granting concession of shell sand in Bay of Lannion, Brittany, to CAN Industry, was signed Monday and published this Wednesday. The environmental group “Peuple Des Dunes” intends to appeal and file an action before the administrative court.
Satellite Images Suggest China Building Is Third Airstrip in South China Sea
China appears to building a third airstrip in disputed waters in the South China Sea, according to new satellite images analyzed by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
NOAA Fisheries Input on Sand Mining Helps Protect Key Fish Habitat
Sand, not gold, has since become one of the world’s most precious and finite resources originating in California’s mountains. NOAA Fisheries is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and industry to understand the effect that sand mining could have on important fish habitat.
Built on Sand: Singapore and the New State of Risk
The island’s expansion has been a colossal undertaking. It is not merely a matter of coastal reclamation: Singapore is growing vertically as well as horizontally. This means that the nation’s market needs fine river sand—used for beaches and concrete—as well as coarse sea sand to create new ground.
800,000m3 of Sand to be Removed Close to Some of Kenya’s Most Prized Beaches
Sand could soon be sucked out of the Indian Ocean, in a 0.4 –1km strip off the Kenyan coastline. The extraction will take place from Likoni through Waa to Tiwi Area in Mombasa county – close to some of Kenya’s most prized beaches and the Diani-Chale National Marine Reserve.
Establishing El Gouna, Egypt
In 1985, sand and coral dominated the Red Sea coast in an area about 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of Hurghada, Egypt. Three decades later, development has radically reshaped the coastline.