Global demand for sand is rising faster than natural systems can replenish it, threatening ecosystems, biodiversity and livelihoods worldwide, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warned in a report released Tuesday.

The report said the world currently consumes around 50 billion tonnes of sand annually, driven by population growth, urbanization, infrastructure expansion and economic development.

According to UNEP, demand for sand used in buildings alone is projected to increase by up to 45 percent by 2060.

The agency said the growing “sand gap” reflects the widening difference between the rapid pace of extraction and the much slower natural process through which sand forms over hundreds of thousands of years.

“Sand is sometimes referred as the unrecognized hero of development, but its essential role in sustaining the natural services on which we depend is even more overlooked,” said Pascal Peduzzi, director of the UNEP Global Resource Information Database Geneva.

The report distinguishes between “dead” sand used in concrete, asphalt and glass and “alive” sand found in rivers, deltas and coastal areas that helps regulate water flows, protect shorelines and support biodiversity.

According to the report, sand also provides habitats for fish, turtles, birds, crabs and many other species while supporting tourism and fisheries and helping maintain ecological balance.

UNEP warned that growing demand for both forms of sand is increasingly creating competition between industrial use and environmental sustainability, with excessive extraction damaging ecosystems and threatening food and water security.

The report also found that around half of dredging companies operate within Marine Protected Areas, accounting for 15 percent of total dredged volume.

UNEP called for stronger governance, improved monitoring and greater transparency in extraction permits and environmental impact assessments.

The report urged governments to develop national roadmaps for sustainable sand management.