Sand is the key ingredient of modern life, making up basic materials like glass, concrete and asphalt. Despite its prevalence as a pillar of urbanization, sand is not as abundant as one might think. Sand demand is set to far outpace natural supply by 2050, posing challenges for increased societal advancement. Authors of this study call for increased regulation from international bodies such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in order to better implement sustainable management strategies for sand extraction. Explore the challenges related to sand mining below!