An expanded Panama Canal opens for giant ships
A mammoth ship bearing 9,472 containers, on Sunday will become the first vessel to officially pass through the new expanded Panama Canal, a $5.25 billion project designed to modernize a 102-year-old landmark. Others worry about the ability of the nearly 300 canal pilots to safely guide the new giant ships through the snug locks and channels.
Mangrove forest in SW China endangered
The vast tracts of mangrove forest in the Beibu Gulf of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have been almost erased by the immense construction of marine reclamation lands and industrial plants.
Negril Chamber Outraged Over Sand-Mining Operations, Jamaica
The Negril Chamber of Commerce has expressed outrage at what it says appears to be shady sand mining activities connected to major hotel developments in Negril and elsewhere on the North Coast.
Could a Titanic Seawall Save This Quickly Sinking City?
Jakarta, Indonesia’s fast-growing capital of 10 million people, is embarking on one of history’s biggest seawall projects—to be shaped like a Garuda, a mythical bird-like creature.
Satellite Images Suggest China Building Is Third Airstrip in South China Sea
China appears to building a third airstrip in disputed waters in the South China Sea, according to new satellite images analyzed by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Such Quantities of Sand
Asia’s mania for reclaiming land from the sea spawns mounting problems.
Showing no Signs of Giving Ground, China and US Remain at Odds over South China Sea Projects
The U.S. and most members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations want a halt to the projects, which they suspect are aimed at building islands and other land features over which China can claim sovereignty. U.S. officials say China has reclaimed about 2,000 acres of dry land since 2014.
Great Wall Of Sand: Chinese Mischief at Mischief Reef
In recent years, China has laid claim to the South China Sea with increasing fierceness, challenging the counterclaims of neighboring states and confronting their fishing boats on the open water. But new satellite photos have provided the most dramatic evidence yet of just how aggressively China is acting to establish a sphere of influence in the South China Sea
Sand, Rarer Than One Thinks, UN
A Global Environmental Alert published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).