Delta Life 11

18 Deltares, MARCH 2019 Sand: it's everywhere you look. At least, that's how it seems. The deserts are full of it and so are our beaches. We use sand to protect our coasts and build our cities. We include it in products such as glass, make-up, solar panels and electronic devices. So there are plenty of reasons to worry about the depletion of our sand supplies. This is what you need to know about sand. BY LOT FOLGERING / IMAGE ISTOCKPHOTO THE WORLD IS HUNGRY FOR SAND Sand is themost minedmaterial in the world. By far. According to UNEP, the UN's environmental organisation, sand and gravel account for 85 percent of the world'smined materials. Approximately 20millionm3 of sand is extracted annually in the Netherlands. Theworld population is growing and it will be concentrated in cities. As a result, demand for sand is highest in the construction industry. In Science , American and European scientists reported that nearly 30 billion tons of sand and gravel were being processed annually for infrastructure and land reclamation in 2017. To give an example: The Economist calculated that, between 2011 and 2015, approximately 32million houses and 4.5million kilometres of roadwere built in China alone. Climate change, which is leading to sea level rise and increased levels of coastal erosion, is another important cause of the rise in demand for sand worldwide.