Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development

Helena Bach; Tom Bide; Stephanie Chuah; Candice Chung; Katherine Dawson; Marc Goichot; Reia Guppy; Jean-Baptiste Jouffray; Ashley McCleaf Long; Mona Mohammed; Jonathan Moizer; Pascal Peduzzi; Sheila Puffer; Munira Raji; Mark Russell; Luis Sanchez; Ian Selby; Murtah Shannon; Natalia Strigin; Aurora Torres; Juanito Torres Montano; Vera Van Lancker; Arnaud Vander Velpen; Renee Young; Halinishi Yusuf; Adel A. Zadeh; Sophus O.S.E zu Ermgassen

Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development

Helena Bach
, Tom Bide
, Stephanie Chuah
, Candice Chung
, Katherine Dawson
, Marc Goichot
, Reia Guppy
, Jean-Baptiste Jouffray
, Ashley McCleaf Long
, Mona Mohammed
, Jonathan Moizer
, Pascal Peduzzi
, Sheila Puffer
, Munira Raji
, Mark Russell
, Luis Sanchez
, Ian Selby
, Murtah Shannon
, Natalia Strigin
, Aurora Torres

Juanito Torres Montano, Vera Van Lancker, Arnaud Vander Velpen, Renee Young, Halinishi Yusuf, Adel A. Zadeh, Sophus O.S.E zu Ermgassen

Plymouth Business School

UNEP/GRID
British Geological Survey
University College London
WWF Asia Pacific
The University of Trinidad and Tobago
Stanford University/Stockholm Resilence Centre
Costal Carolina University
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP/GRID-Geneva
Northeastern University
University of Plymouth
Mineral Products Association
University of São Paulo
University of Liverpool
Both ENDS
Deltares
University of Alicante
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences/Ghent University
The Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute
Newcastle University
Northestern University
University of Oxford

Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report › peer-review

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Abstract

The Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development highlights sand’s multiple values to modern society, as well as its often overlooked ’non-use’ values when left within functioning ecosystems where it underpins livelihoods, water security, food systems, territorial integrity, and shelter. The report examines the growing environmental, social, and economic pressures linked to rising global sand demand and identifies key gaps in governance, biodiversity integration, monitoring, and long-term planning. It presents 24 strategic actions for governments, industry, financial institutions, and civil society to better govern sand resources and their multiple values, prioritise long-term planning, transform financial systems, reduce unnecessary demand, strengthen circularity, improve transparency and monitoring, and fully integrate biodiversity considerations into decision-making.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Geneva, Switzerland
Publisher	United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) / UNEP–GRID Geneva
Number of pages	90
ISBN (Print)	978-92-807-4279-4
Publication status	Published - 13 May 2026

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 14 Life Below Water
SDG 15 Life on Land
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

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https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/49463Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Bach, H., Bide, T., Chuah, S., Chung, C., Dawson, K., Goichot, M., Guppy, R., Jouffray, J.-B., McCleaf Long, A., Mohammed, M., Moizer, J., Peduzzi, P., Puffer, S., Raji, M., Russell, M., Sanchez, L., Selby, I., Shannon, M., Strigin, N., ... zu Ermgassen, S. O. S. E. (2026). Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) / UNEP–GRID Geneva. https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/49463

@book{322b4e1821b64aa09e35899f530a79bb,

title = "Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development",

abstract = "The Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development highlights sand{\textquoteright}s multiple values to modern society, as well as its often overlooked {\textquoteright}non-use{\textquoteright} values when left within functioning ecosystems where it underpins livelihoods, water security, food systems, territorial integrity, and shelter. The report examines the growing environmental, social, and economic pressures linked to rising global sand demand and identifies key gaps in governance, biodiversity integration, monitoring, and long-term planning. It presents 24 strategic actions for governments, industry, financial institutions, and civil society to better govern sand resources and their multiple values, prioritise long-term planning, transform financial systems, reduce unnecessary demand, strengthen circularity, improve transparency and monitoring, and fully integrate biodiversity considerations into decision-making.",

author = "Helena Bach and Tom Bide and Stephanie Chuah and Candice Chung and Katherine Dawson and Marc Goichot and Reia Guppy and Jean-Baptiste Jouffray and \{McCleaf Long\}, Ashley and Mona Mohammed and Jonathan Moizer and Pascal Peduzzi and Sheila Puffer and Munira Raji and Mark Russell and Luis Sanchez and Ian Selby and Murtah Shannon and Natalia Strigin and Aurora Torres and \{Torres Montano\}, Juanito and \{Van Lancker\}, Vera and \{Vander Velpen\}, Arnaud and Renee Young and Halinishi Yusuf and Zadeh, \{Adel A.\} and \{zu Ermgassen\}, \{Sophus O.S.E\}",

year = "2026",

month = may,

day = "13",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-92-807-4279-4",

publisher = "United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) / UNEP{\textendash}GRID Geneva",

}

Bach, H, Bide, T, Chuah, S, Chung, C, Dawson, K, Goichot, M, Guppy, R, Jouffray, J-B, McCleaf Long, A, Mohammed, M, Moizer, J, Peduzzi, P, Puffer, S, Raji, M, Russell, M, Sanchez, L, Selby, I, Shannon, M, Strigin, N, Torres, A, Torres Montano, J, Van Lancker, V, Vander Velpen, A, Young, R, Yusuf, H, Zadeh, AA & zu Ermgassen, SOSE 2026, Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) / UNEP–GRID Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. <https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/49463>

TY - BOOK

T1 - Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development

AU - Bach, Helena

AU - Bide, Tom

AU - Chuah, Stephanie

AU - Chung, Candice

AU - Dawson, Katherine

AU - Goichot, Marc

AU - Guppy, Reia

AU - Jouffray, Jean-Baptiste

AU - McCleaf Long, Ashley

AU - Mohammed, Mona

AU - Moizer, Jonathan

AU - Peduzzi, Pascal

AU - Puffer, Sheila

AU - Raji, Munira

AU - Russell, Mark

AU - Sanchez, Luis

AU - Selby, Ian

AU - Shannon, Murtah

AU - Strigin, Natalia

AU - Torres, Aurora

AU - Torres Montano, Juanito

AU - Van Lancker, Vera

AU - Vander Velpen, Arnaud

AU - Young, Renee

AU - Yusuf, Halinishi

AU - Zadeh, Adel A.

AU - zu Ermgassen, Sophus O.S.E

PY - 2026/5/13

Y1 - 2026/5/13

N2 - The Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development highlights sand’s multiple values to modern society, as well as its often overlooked ’non-use’ values when left within functioning ecosystems where it underpins livelihoods, water security, food systems, territorial integrity, and shelter. The report examines the growing environmental, social, and economic pressures linked to rising global sand demand and identifies key gaps in governance, biodiversity integration, monitoring, and long-term planning. It presents 24 strategic actions for governments, industry, financial institutions, and civil society to better govern sand resources and their multiple values, prioritise long-term planning, transform financial systems, reduce unnecessary demand, strengthen circularity, improve transparency and monitoring, and fully integrate biodiversity considerations into decision-making.

AB - The Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development highlights sand’s multiple values to modern society, as well as its often overlooked ’non-use’ values when left within functioning ecosystems where it underpins livelihoods, water security, food systems, territorial integrity, and shelter. The report examines the growing environmental, social, and economic pressures linked to rising global sand demand and identifies key gaps in governance, biodiversity integration, monitoring, and long-term planning. It presents 24 strategic actions for governments, industry, financial institutions, and civil society to better govern sand resources and their multiple values, prioritise long-term planning, transform financial systems, reduce unnecessary demand, strengthen circularity, improve transparency and monitoring, and fully integrate biodiversity considerations into decision-making.

UR - https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/pbs-research/709/

M3 - Commissioned report

SN - 978-92-807-4279-4

BT - Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development

PB - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) / UNEP–GRID Geneva

CY - Geneva, Switzerland

ER -

Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development

Abstract

UN SDGs

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