Launch of the Marine Sand Watch Monitoring Marine Sand Extraction

DATE: 6 September 2023 | 1400-1530 hrs. CEST

PLACE: Online, and at the International Conference Center Geneva, Switzerland

Registration: Online  and Offline

A global platform called Marine Sand Watch, developed by UNEP/GRID-Geneva, will be made available. Its purpose is to track large vessels taking part in dredging operations in the ocean. The University of Geneva and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment provide funding for the marine sand watch. The platform is based on studies conducted by UNEP/GRID-Geneva in collaboration with its research partners, Global Fishing Watch, the University of California Santa Barbara, and Google.

The platform aims to increase transparency, promote better management of sand resources, and collaborate with the dredging industry to lower environmental impact through higher standards by making estimates of extractions and locations available to everyone. The Geneva Environment Network and UNEP/GRID-Geneva are hosting an event to introduce the platform, discuss the need for better monitoring, and outline steps to find best practice’s and adopt higher standards.

Sand resources are not currently being observed globally. Marine sand, or the sand and gravel found in oceanic and coastal environments, is a crucial resource for the environment. Additionally, it strengthens coastal resilience against storms, guards against coastal aquifer salinization, and supports biodiversity, fisheries, and other blue economy activities. It also links and safeguards marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In order to dredge for building materials, reclaim land, deepen waterways and build harbors, remove polluted sediments, replenish beaches, build coastal defense’s and support offshore energy infrastructure, the majority of dredging activities involve excavating, transporting and disposing of sand via large vessels.

Better sand use and extraction monitoring, a ban on mining sand as a resource in the active beach-nearshore sand system, and the creation of an international standard for sand extraction in the marine environment are all demands made by the UN Environment Programme.

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