Mette Bendixen and colleagues rightly identify sand mining as a sustainable-development issue, but wrongly generalize unregulated artisanal and small-scale mining of sand as a criminal activity (Nature 571, 29–31; 2019). In my experience as lead of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme (see go.nature.com/2nxgwyn), these informal miners can usefully contribute to the governance of sand and its sustainability while improving their own livelihoods.

In Fiji, for example, we combined empirical studies of 48 extraction sites with engagement and capacity building of small sand-mining enterprises. The results persuaded the Fiji Minister of Lands and Mineral Resources to agree to phase out extraction of river sand and gravel in favour of using crushed rock from quarries.

In Cameroon, we supported the first monitoring system for sand and gravel production with the help of small-scale sand miners. In Zambia, we provided access for artisanal quarries to supply materials for large construction projects, such as the Kazungula Bridge, while improving environmental and safety outcomes on the quarry sites. And in Uganda, we worked with the parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources to develop a strategy for resolving sand-mining conflicts.