231129002522 - Renewal of an Environmental Clearance Certificate for Sand Mining Operations Along the Uiseb River, in Groot Aub, Khomas Region

Sand mining is the extraction of sand from the environment. Sand mining is also known as ‘sand winning’. Sand is a naturally-occurring granular material with a particle size between 0.06 to 2 mm in diameter. It is formed over time by the weathering of rock and is comprised mainly of silica. An important characteristic of sand is that it can be transported - by wind and water, for example and deposited. Natural sand tends to ‘accumulate in rivers, on beaches, in dunes and in valleys. Sand can also be artificially manufactured by crushing coarser aggregates such as stone and gravel that have already been mined from a quarry. The focus of this application, however, is the mining of natural sand from the environment, particularly sand that is found in the Uiseb river (alluvial).The Environmental Regulations procedure (GN 30 of 2012) stipulates that no mining and sand mining activities may be undertaken without an environmental clearance certificate. The proponent intends to renew the current certificate.