Posted on June 1, 2026
By Ana Alice
Present in concrete, glass, and technology, sand has become a resource contested on a global scale, with increasing extraction in rivers, beaches, and seabeds, and impacts monitored by scientists and international organizations.
The world uses about 50 billion tons of sand and gravel per year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
The material is present in concrete, asphalt, glass, fiber optic cables, and stages of the silicon chain used in the manufacture of electronic components.
Although it seems abundant, sand suitable for construction depends on specific characteristics and cannot be replaced, in most cases, by desert sand.
A report released by the UNEP in May 2026 states that global demand for sand is growing faster than natural replenishment in several regions.
The agency advocates that the resource be treated as strategic and that governments create clearer rules to map, authorize, and supervise extraction.
The pressure on this market helps explain why rivers, beaches, deltas, and seabeds have become targets of economic and environmental disputes.
When removed from these environments, sand ceases to fulfill natural functions, such as stabilizing banks, nourishing beaches, filtering water, and reducing the exposure of coastal areas to erosion.
Why desert sand does not solve the construction crisis
The construction industry uses sand with a shape and grain size capable of providing strength to concrete mixtures.
In general, grains from rivers, ancient aquatic areas, and coastal zones have a profile more suitable for this purpose than wind-transported sand in deserts, which tends to be more rounded and fine.
