Despite worries about environmental damage and rising sea levels, a Caribbean island continues to mine its sand.
Arthur Nibbs, council chairman of Barbuda, says he once opposed the practice but now feels it is necessary despite the risk.
“We are forced to continue . . . sand mining because that’s the only revenue source that we have, and we need to meet our obligations on a daily basis,” Nibbs told the Inter Press Service.
Loss of sand could mean less buffers for storms. The island, located north of Antigua and in the middle of the Leeward Islands, is also one of the lowest-lying in the Caribbean.
Map of Barbuda from Wikipedia. Beach photo of Antigua and Barbuda by wemissedthebus.
