Resource November 25, 2019

Meet the Journalist: Sim Chi Yin

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Land reclamation works are on-going at this area of Tuas, Singapore's westernmost area where a new massive container port—the world's largest in the next 30 years—is being built. The port authority is using materials dredged from the nearby seabed and earth excavated from tunneling work on a subway line to cut use of sand by about 70 per cent in the building of this pier—which will be one of four eventually. Singapore has been short of sand for its sizeable and continual land reclamation and construction…
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Concrete. Glass. Silicon. Our civilization is built on the most important yet most overlooked...

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Two islands in the shape of the sun and a crescent moon have been artificially made off Hainan’s east coast, in the Sun and Moon Bay (Riyuewan), a surfing destination 25 km south of Wanning city. The two man-made islands make up about 1 square kilometre, and are planned as a tourism site with a theme park, international conference venues, shopping malls, yacht club and luxury hotels.The land reclamation on the main island—that resembles a round sun—was completed in 2014 and beach erosion was found soon…
Two islands in the shape of the sun and a crescent moon have been artificially made off Hainan’s east coast, in the Sun and Moon Bay (Riyuewan), a surfing destination 25 km south of Wanning city. The two man-made islands make up about 1 square kilometre, and are planned as a tourism site with a theme park, international conference venues, shopping malls, yacht club and luxury hotels.The land reclamation on the main island—that resembles a round sun—was completed in 2014 and beach erosion was found soon after. The erosion poses a threat to a forest of Vatica Mangachapoi which grows on sandy beaches in Hainan. The endangered plant is protected in China as it has already suffered over-cutting for its valuable wood. In addition, the reclamation project will destroy 50,000 sqm coral reef. Chinese press reports say the project started without carrying out a thorough environmental impact assessment. When these photographs were made in October 2018, construction appeared to still be going on. Italy-based design and…

The world is running out of sand. It seems counter-intuitive but the sand, besides air and water, is our most used commodity. The insatiable demand for this non-renewable resource has led to environmental impact where it's mined and to mafias driving the lucrative business.

The global depletion of sand is driven by rapid urbanisation—especially in China and other parts of Asia—and land reclamation. Singapore, where Sim Chi Yin is from, is the world's largest importer of sand per capita. It has reclaimed almost a quarter of its territory over the last 60 years.

The story of sand is, to Sim Chi Yin, that of the global income gap writ large: wealthy states buy up land from their poorer neighbours and move it to where they want it.

Work on this on-going project on this looming global problem includes mapping, research, and photography.

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