The world is in the grips of an ongoing sand crisis, with countries at war in the Middle East over it, and imports from Canada and Australia being used to satiate demand. But just how scarce is sand? And how can we stop it from running out?
Sand, which is made up of tiny rocks and minerals, has become a precious commodity in many parts of the world. It’s used for a range of activities like construction, manufacturing, and land reclamation. However, desertification caused by climate change and population growth have resulted in a dwindling amount available for all these uses. Unsustainable mining practices have exacerbated this problem further. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), some countries are already starting to experience shortages.
The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2050 global demand for sand could triple from its current level. The consequences would be dire – without enough sand to go around there would be a significant risk of conflict erupting between countries competing for limited resources.
So what can we do about this growing crisis? One solution could be to limit extraction by introducing better policies to restrict mining operations and promote more sustainable uses of sand such as recycling or reuse initiatives. Another option would be to explore alternative materials that can be used instead of sand – such as recycled plastics or glass beads – although this approach may not be feasible at scale due to cost considerations.
The good news is that documentary filmmakers are now taking notice of this important issue and exploring ways we can address it together. ‘A Sand Crisis: War Over Sand’ is one such filmed project that dives into the challenges faced by communities living on the brink of resource scarcity – highlighting potential solutions such as conservation efforts and efficient management strategies.
We need to act quickly if we want to avoid running out of sand completely – so if you haven’t already seen the documentary mentioned above then I urge you to watch it today! By raising awareness about this critical challenge we can take steps towards ensuring our
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