A dredger offloads sand at a reclamation project in Manila Bay, the Philippines. The global sand crisis is intensifying as the most extracted solid material on Earth is being used up faster than it can be replaced, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods.
Malé's Double Pressure
Malé, one of the world's most overcrowded cities, faces dual challenges: a growing population and rising sea levels due to climate breakdown. A land reclamation project aimed to take sand from elsewhere in the archipelago to build up land for Malé's people. However, a new UN report warns that sand extraction is outpacing natural replenishment, endangering livelihoods, ecosystems, and the natural world's structure.
UN Report Findings
Pascal Peduzzi, director of the UNEP Global Resource Information Database Geneva, stated: "Sand is sometimes referred to as the unrecognised hero of development, but its essential role in sustaining natural services is even more overlooked. Sand is our first line of defence against sea level rise, storm surges, and salination of coastal aquifers – all hazards exacerbated by climate change."
Sand is the most extracted solid material on Earth, mined for homes, roads, sea walls, concrete, windows, silicon chips, and solar panels. However, it is equally crucial left in place: it regulates rivers, protects coastal aquifers, filters water, and sustains biodiversity. The report highlights competition between sand's "dead" and "alive" states.
Case Studies of Damage
In 2019, the Maldives government commissioned a Dutch company to fill the lagoon on Gulhifalhu island near Malé. The 192-hectare reclamation required 24.5 million cubic metres of sand dredged from 13.75 square kilometres of northern Malé atoll. Six months later, an environmental assessment deemed the damage irreversible, but contracts were already signed.
The Gulhifalhu project destroyed 200 hectares of coral reef and lagoon habitat, including marine protected areas (MPAs). The UN found about half of dredging companies operated in MPAs, accounting for 15% of dredged sand volume. This leads to loss of critical habitats for fish, turtles, birds, crabs, and other species supporting ecosystems, fisheries, and tourism. "Land reclamation inevitably leads to permanent modification of the substrate, destruction of flora and fauna, and coastal erosion," the report said.
In the Philippines, dredging 155 million cubic metres of sand for a 1,700-hectare airport project devastated fishing communities. After Manila Bay's floor was scraped, fish never returned. In South Sulawesi, Indonesia, dredging 22 million cubic metres of sand in prime fishing grounds for urban development cut fishing incomes by 80%.
Need for Governance Overhaul
According to UNEP, solving the sand extraction dilemma requires overhauling governance processes. Planners need better data, mapping, and monitoring to identify high ecological value areas. They must also offer greater transparency and adhere more faithfully to environmental rules.
Maldives' Vulnerability
The Maldives is particularly exposed: over 80% of its land mass is less than a metre above sea level, making it one of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations. Without building up islands, it will be overrun. However, even if that fate is averted, Malé's inhabitants face a bleak future. A technical analysis of the Gulhifalhu land use plan, considering infrastructure allocation for expected population density, indicates the new land mass is engineered for nothing less than "urban disaster."
