Cambodia’s banned sand trade with Singapore appears to be back
Authorities in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province say they’ve approved a sand mining operation exporting to Singapore, despite an export ban imposed by national authorities a decade ago after large-scale dredging was found to be damaging riverine and coastal ecosystems. The dredging is occurring in an area of the Trapeang Rung River that falls within the […]
Cambodia's embattled sand trade with Singapore appears to be resuming, despite a decade-old export ban aimed at protecting riverine and coastal ecosystems. Authorities in Koh Kong province have permitted a sand mining operation to ship its goods to Singapore, raising concerns among environmentalists. The dredging is taking place in an area of the Trapeang Rung River that lies within the Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary and Botum Sakor National Park.
The 2017 ban on sand exports was lifted, according to Khlem Yonviseth, director of the Koh Kong provincial mining department. However, no official documentation of the ban's reversal has been found, and relevant government agencies have not responded to inquiries. Mother Nature Cambodia, an activist group, exposed the dredging operation via videos posted in July and August.
In the latter video, they tracked multiple cargo ships from Koh Kong Krao, Cambodia's largest island, to Singapore's Tuas Port. Environmental activists are questioning the extent of the sand lost from Cambodia. Analysis by Mongabay has confirmed that four identified ships bound for Tuas Port were part of the resuming trade, with one of them heading to a state-backed land reclamation project.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
