Increasing demand for the world’s most-used natural material, sand, is fuelling mining in fragile natural habitats and prompting a growing number of countries to ban exports.

The construction industry’s use of sand, gravel and crushed rock outstrips total global consumption of all fossil fuels and metals combined, when measured by weight, according to the OECD. It forecasts that in the next four decades construction demand for sand and gravel will almost double to cater for the world’s growing population and rising living standards. 

“Emerging economies are playing catch-up. They need [sand] to build infrastructure, roads and houses,” said Jean Chateau, senior economist at the OECD. “There’s absolutely no substitute. You need rocks and sand to build the world. You cannot build a world in plastic.”