Humanity dredges around 6 billion tons of sand from the oceans and seas every year, risking the lives of both the marine life and indigenous communities, the UN warned. The warning surfaced as sand dredging is gradually increasing as more and more private companies are capitalizing on the abundant natural resource.
6B Tons Sand Dredged From Oceans
Sand is considered to be one of the most valuable resources human beings have today. It is the second most valuable resource after water, primarily being used in the construction of roads, glass, high-speed trains, computer screens and smartphones. Out of the total 50 billion tons of sand being dredged, 6 billion tons comes from the world’s oceans and seas.
Dredging Destroying Marine Life
By deploying sophisticated tools that measure the impact of sand dredging on marine life. The UN report mentioned that the process highly intoxicates the oceans shores where marine life reproduces. Sand dredging also affects the water quality by releasing contaminated particles that can directly threaten marine life.
