„Where they found good sand, they dug, dug, dug, for years“, a resident, living next to an illegal sand mine in Rio de Janeiro, remembers. In 2020, miners left the many pits open, some of which are now providing habitat to various species of fish and birds. However, before the military intervened, mining companies deforested a vast area and menaced residents inhabiting the to-be-exploited terrain.
Standing by illegal mining in Xerem, Rio de Janeiro
Check the full text at the Atlas do Chão and more on the importance of sand for civil construction at PoLAR.
A much desired, yet scarce resource: Sand
The digged hole got close to a public school
Clandestine sand mines also offer sand for illicit urbanization projects
Standby Urbanization 