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Original Text
Poyang Lake is China’s biggest freshwater lake. Although people have fished it for generations, these days, a new resource is being removed-sand. Up to 10,000 tons of sand are dug up from the lake floor per hour, making this the world’s largest sand mine. Much of the sand is shipped to Shanghai-a city whose population has risen by 7 million since 2007-where it is used in the construction of high-rises, roads, and other structures. Massive mining operations exist not only in China but also in other nations, including Australia and the United States. Globally, the largest importer of sand is Singapore, which has used the resource to increase its territorial landmass by 20 square miles.
The consequences of sand mining are a major concern. Removing sand from water bodies increases water sediment, blocking out sunlight; this interferes with underwater plants’ production of oxygen, making survival for fish and other organisms difficult. In the case of Poyang Lake, sand removal has made the channels leading out of the lake much deeper and wider, doubling the amount of water flowing outward. Consequently, the lake’s water level has dropped dramatically. This threatens the water supply to neighboring wetlands, which are home to numerous bird species and other wildlife.
Many countries are becoming increasingly aware of the damage caused by sand mining. Demand for the resource has taken a toll on Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia, which have banned sand exports in efforts to preserve local ecosystems. However, increasing demand means that when mining stops in one area, other areas take on the burden of supply. China’s Yangtze River, for example, was formerly a major sand-mining site, but by the late 1990s so much had been removed that bridges collapsed along with large sections of the riverbank. When sand mining was banned on the Yangtze in 2000, operations shifted to Poyang Lake.
Sample Summary
Now, sand from lakes is seen as a new resource, excavated and transported both nationally and internationally, and used as a material for construction around the world.
As a result, sand mining causes a variety of problems; for example, creatures in the water or on adjacent land struggle to survive due to the lack of oxygen or the decrease in the lake’s water level.
Most nations recognize the seriousness of this issue, so they have started prohibiting sand exports or sand mining to protect the environment. Nevertheless, it simply contributes to the movement of mining operations because of more needs.
