The world is running out of one of the most important goods – sand. It is considered the most demanded resource after water, writes CNBC.
Sand is the main substance used in the construction of roads, bridges, high-speed trains, as well as in the production of glass, silicon chips and more. The world is already facing its deficit, which will become one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, experts predict.
“We never thought that we would run out of sand, but in some places this is already being observed,” said UN climatologist Pascal Peduzzi. It takes 10 tons of sand to produce a ton of cement. This means that 40 to 50 billion tons of sand are consumed annually for construction alone.
The global rate of its use, which has tripled over the past two decades, far exceeds the natural rate of replenishment through weathering. Sand “is perceived as a cheap, affordable and endless product, but it is not,” experts say. Population growth and urbanization may further increase demand for this product.
Earlier it was reported that global trading companies were covered by a transport crisis due to a shortage of containers for transportation. Shipping costs have recently increased by 300 percent. Experts attribute this to the uneven recovery of the global economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.