"Data downloaded from the Systems Change Lab at 08/10/2026 09:39:02 pm"

"Suggested citations:"
"1. Systems Change Lab. 2024. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, Bezos Earth Fund. Available online at: https://www.systemschangelab.org"
"2. Please cite original data source(s) listed below"

Title,Units,"Last Updated","Indicator Type","Category (factors only)","Status (targets only)","Exponential Growth",System,Shift,Description,"Data Challenges","Key Terms","Exponential Trajectory","Target Methodology","Progress Assessment Methodology"
"Countries and territories with national policies mandating sustainable sand or mineral extraction from freshwater ecosystems","% of countries and territories",2026-08-10,"Enabler and Barrier","Regulation and Incentives",,,Freshwater,"Effectively halt conversion and degradation across freshwater ecosystems","Sand is one of the world’s most consumed natural resources, with global consumption for construction, electronics, water filtration and other uses growing annually. A 2019 study by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) found that global demand for sand has tripled since 2000, with some studies estimating more than 40 billion metric tons of sand used per year.However, direct or indirect removal of sand, aggregate and minerals can have negative impacts on freshwater ecosystems, including habitat degradation and loss, shifts in local and downstream flow patterns of water and sediment, changes to the physiochemical characteristics of the water column and disruption to ecological processes such as increased turbidity.National laws and regulations should outline strategies to minimize the local and wider environmental impacts of sand and other aggregate extraction and prioritize rehabilitation where mitigation is not possible. Only a subset of countries and territories have adopted a policy promoting sustainable sand or mineral mining activities in freshwater ecosystems. Such policies should be adopted more widely worldwide and, at the same time, need to be accompanied by robust enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance.","Data was collected from the legislation database of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Legal Office (FAOLEX) using the following filters: Domain: Environment, Wild species & ecosystems, and Water; Type of text: Policies, Legislation; Keywords: “sustainable use,” “access right,” “sustainable river gravel sand extraction.” We excluded legislation and policies that are labeled as “repealed.” However, vetting the relevance and quality of each data result required significant manual review beyond the scope of this reporting period. As a result, this indicator is classified as insufficient data at this time.","Sand, gravel and other aggregates: Aggregates mined globally for their utility, primarily in concrete production, land reclamation, infrastructure development and industrial uses. Extraction of these aggregates can have significant impacts on rivers, deltas and other freshwater ecosystems, including river erosion, loss of sediment supply and lowering of water tables.",,,

"Data source(s):"
Name,Provider,URL
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