According to the recent report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) titled 'Sand and Sustainability: finding new solutions for environmental governance of global sand resources', India and China top a list of nations where illegal sand mining has become a key environmental issue. The report focusses on the altering pattern of sand consumption, demand and role among the growing population. The report brings to light that sand and gravel are the 2nd largest natural resources that are extracted but are the least regulated. The first largest being water. UNEP declares it as one of the major sustainability challenges of the country in the 21st century. The report stresses on the fact that large scale sand mining breaks the natural ecosystem, thus causing ecological damage.
