Sand, gravel, and UN Sustainable Development Goals: Conflicts, synergies, and pathways forward

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewpeer-review

Documents

  • Mette Bendixen
  • Iversen, Lars Lønsmann
  • Jim Best
  • Daniel M. Franks
  • Christopher R. Hackney
  • Edgardo M. Latrubesse
  • Lucy S. Tusting

Sand, gravel, and crushed stone are the most mined materials on Earth. Aggregates constitute the foundation for modern civilization and are essential for providing shelter, infrastructure, and communication, but are an increasingly scarce resource. Here, we review the interconnections between the impacts of aggregate mining and the services they provide. We show that the conflicting impacts on the environment and humankind disrupt the net positive effects of aggregate mining on sustainable development. Focusing on low- and middle-income countries, we link these interconnections to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and identify critical obstacles to a sustainable future for global aggregate resources. Our assessment identifies an urgent need to improve knowledge on: (1) direct and indirect impacts of extraction on human health, (2) system-level impacts on ecosystems and the services they provide, and (3) how to meet the projected trajectories of global aggregate demand.

Original languageEnglish
JournalOne Earth
Volume4
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)1095-1111
Number of pages17
ISSN2590-3330
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

    Research areas

  • WATER PROTECTED AREAS, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, GLOBAL MAP, RIVER, CONSTRUCTION, EXTRACTION, RESOURCES, DUNE, MANAGEMENT, COASTAL

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