THE GLOBAL EXTENT OF BEACH SAND MINING

For centuries, beach sand has been mined for use as aggregate in concrete, for heavy minerals and for construction fill. The global extent and impact of this phenomenon has gone relatively unstudied by coastal scientists. Most reports of sand mining activities are found at the very local scale. Yet, sand mining in many localities has resulted in the complete destruction of beach along with severe impacts to coastal hazard vulnerability.

In an attempt to make a first-order approximation of the impacts that sand mining has had on the world’s beaches, we have developed a global database of beach sand mining activities. The database is being built through a combination of site visits and data mining of media resources, technical articles, and reports from private and governmental entities. Currently, we have documented sand mining in 35 countries on 6 continents representing the removal of millions of cubic meters of sand.

Problems extend from Asia where critical infrastructure has been disrupted by sand mining to the Caribbean where sand is being sold as an export. Field studies in Morocco documented massive sand mining at a regional scale. Tens of kilometers of beach have been stripped of sand. The sand miners have long departed, but they have altered the geomorphology of a significant portion of the northwest coast.

Problems caused by beach sand mining include: destruction of natural beaches and the ecosystems they protect, habitat loss for globally important species, increased shoreline erosion, and reduced protection from storms and tsunamis. The threats posed by sand mining are made even more critical given the prospect of a significant rise in global sea level over the coming decades. Most governments recognize the local impacts of sand mining and mining activities are illegal in many localities. However, enforcement of these protections has been problematic.

Coastal geomorphologists studying unfamiliar shorelines, especially in the developing world, should be aware of the global extent of beach sand removal. It could be that the low-slope, rock-controlled beach that you are studying was once sand-rich and robust. In addition, documenting the increased hazard vulnerability resulting from sand mining will be critical in convincing local governments that the short-term gain from selling sand is not worth the increased risk.