God promised Abraham, “I will make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.”
Sand certainly seems like an abundant resource. Think of all the deserts and beaches around the world. Surely there’s plenty of sand in the world, right?
Not necessarily. In fact, a shortage of the seemingly plentiful granular substance is predicted, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Program. Where is the sand going?
Here’s one scenario: A man dives to the bottom of the swiftly moving Niger River in Mali on the African continent. He holds a rope tied to a bucket. On the surface, another man in a small boat hoists the bucket up and dumps its contents into the boat. The first man goes under to repeat the process.
The practice is dangerous. The diver could be swept away by the strong current. But many workers like these in developing countries do this daily. They are harvesting sand from the riverbed. They will sell it to others who use it for building.
Elsewhere around the world, huge platforms straddle rivers while machines dredge the high-demand commodity from beneath the surface. Worldwide, about 10 billion tons of sand is mined each year. It comes almost entirely from riverbeds and beach shorelines.
Sand is necessary to make cement stick together as it cures and hardens. The resulting concrete is used for roads, sidewalks, buildings, retaining walls, and monuments. Sand is also trucked in to beaches to restore tidal erosion.
Shoreline erosion allows greater flooding during storm surges. That puts communities in coastal areas in danger.
But mining river sand is causing problems. As sand is extracted, water cuts deeper into the floor beneath. Less sand gets deposited at river’s end, so sand eroded by tides isn’t naturally replaced. Conservationists want to limit sand mining, while builders and engineers say they need more!
Why not just use plentiful desert sand instead? That won’t work. Desert sand is made of round particles worn smooth by wind. River and beach sand is rough. It holds together in concrete mixtures and clings to itself along beaches. Polished grains won’t do the job.
Alternatives are being explored. Recycled products such as ground glass and incinerator ash may do the job of river sand. God gave us many resources. He also knows all our needs, and He equipped people with tremendous creativity and resourcefulness to manage His creation. As needs change, He will faithfully guide and provide.
