Sand overextraction weakening riverbanks as concrete demand soars

Research finds demand has more than doubled since 2000 and 80% of current demand comes from Asia.

The Guardian highlighted a global review led by Associate Professor Edward Park from the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, which found that growing demand for concrete is driving sand and gravel extraction from rivers at rates that can exceed natural replenishment.

Published in Reviews of Geophysics, the study reviewed research on sand and gravel extraction dating back to 1974. Global demand has more than doubled since 2000, with over 80% of current demand coming from Asia, driven largely by urban development and infrastructure construction. In 2024 alone, some 28 billion tonnes of sand and gravel were used globally to produce concrete.

The review highlighted the environmental consequences of overextraction, including weakened riverbanks, declining groundwater levels, saltwater intrusion and poorer water quality. In areas where extraction data is available, mining rates were found to exceed natural sediment replenishment by several times.

The researchers highlighted the potential of satellite monitoring and river mapping to improve the management of sand and gravel extraction and minimise its environmental impacts. They also pointed to more efficient material use and alternatives such as processed construction waste, recycled glass and treated bottom ash as ways to reduce demand for natural river sand and gravel.

Read the original article here.