Disappearing beaches – The trouble with sand

In a world where sand has become a scarce commodity and its demand surpasses its availability, a new kind of gold rush emerges. From Germany to India, from Canada to Malaysia, criminal gangs and corrupt officials fuel the illegal sand trade by plundering beaches, sea beds, and riverbeds. Meanwhile, western countries pay millions of euros every year to dredge sand from the ocean and pump it back onto eroding shores. But is this strategy sustainable, economically and ecologically?

The Sand Rush” follows the people who struggle to protect the coasts, the workers who risk their lives to extract sand, the activists who campaign for environmental protection, and the scientists who look for alternatives. In a story that spans continents and cultures, the documentary sheds light on the hidden impact of a global industry that shapes our modern lives in ways we hardly realize. Will the sand run out? What will be the consequences? And what should we do about it?