Singapore’s government has denied any knowledge of corrupt activities in overseeing sand deals and dredging permits.īut credible reports about sand-dredging which has caused environmental damage in Southeast Asia have raised questions about the city state’s reputation for being green and clean. The city-state’s Changi Airport is built on reclaimed land. Over five decades, Singapore had increased its land area by an estimated 20 percent. The corruption included a “sex-for-sand” scandal, he said, but he didn’t provide details regarding the alleged scandal. “But Singapore’s insatiable demand for sand is fueling charges of wrecked ecosystems, involvement by criminal organizations, and official corruption across Asia,” said David Murray, the author of the IDR report. In early 2011, the International Dredging Review (IDR), which provides news on the worldwide dredging industry, noted that Singapore had benefited from its reputation for fostering an open and corruption-free economy. Most of the sand dredged in Vietnam has been shipped to Singapore, which has used sand extensively for land reclamation. Vietnam may run out of sand as soon as 2020 if dredging for sand exports continues, according to other government experts. The Global Construction Review (CBR) reported in October, 2017 that Vietnam was exploring ways to produce artificial sand after some experts warned that it could run out of the naturally occurring material within five years.Īccording to scientists from Vietnam’s Institute of Transport Science and Technology, Vietnam needs about 100 million cubic meters of sand every year to keep pace with the country’s steady growth rate. But estimates vary as to how quickly this might occur. Vietnam is a prime example of what can go wrong.Įxperts say that Vietnam may soon run out of the sand that it needs to build both housing and highways. Unfortunately, the sand dredging has damaged the environment in several countries by disrupting sediment flows and fishing grounds. The demand for sand has sharply driven up prices for sand in recent years, drawing the attention of unscrupulous local officials, businessmen, and sand-dredging companies. Sand has become a hot commodity needed to support construction work in Southeast Asia.
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