The environmental loss of illegal sand mining in South Africa
Research shows that KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape are home to more than 200 illegal sand mining operations. Umvoti River sand is as good as gold in the construction industry. Its stellar components have placed it among the best sand in South Africa for building purposes. But this comes at a great environmental loss.
Illegal sand mining returns to Tien River, Vietnam
After a period of calm, the illegal sand mining in Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta’s Tien Giang province has been running rampant in recent days.
Cronulla’s sand dunes survived Mad Max but now face a more insidious threat
The once vast sand dunes in Sydney’s south have been farmed, trimmed down by sandmining, filmed and eroded by wind and rain. Now they face encroaching housing developments
Beijing highway: $600m road just the start of China’s investments in Caribbean
Stretching some 67 km north to south across Jamaica, the $600m four-lane nicknamed the “Beijing highway, is the single biggest investment by the Chinese in the Caribbean. This project is also prelude of the building of a $1.5bn deep water container port on islands off the south coast ,using dredging and land reclamation to accommodate mega ships coming through the expanded Panama Canal.
Leatherback sea turtles choose nest sites carefully, study finds
After hatching and dispersing across the world’s oceans, the female leatherbacks return to their natal beaches to lay clutches of eggs in the sand. A new study offers fresh insights into their nesting choices. However, human encroachment on leatherback nesting beaches, in the form of beachfront construction and sand mining, is a major threat to the animals’ continuation as a species.
Paradise Lost? Beach sand mining, Ngapali beach, Myanmar
Twenty years ago Ngapali Beach, on the Bay of Bengal, was an unspoilt gem in the crown of Myanmar’s natural treasures. Times have changed. Beach sand mining at Ngapali, has disturbed the natural balance.
A dossier and photo reportage by Oliver Soe Thet.
Tanzania, Zanzibar: Illegal Sand Mining Irks Aakia Officials
Zanzibar has been recording increased illegal sand mining, and authorities at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport are worried that it may, if uncontrolled, affect ongoing expansion program.
Sand Mining in SF Bay Dealt Blow by State Appeals Court
A California appeals court has ruled that sand in the San Francisco Bay must be considered a public trust resource, potentially challenging the practice of mining for sand in the Bay that’s in turn used in construction projects.
Could We Run Out of Sand for Eroded Beaches?
With king tides, persistent winds and large waves from Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Joaquin making erosion particularly bad this year, the demand for sand is high – but is it possible we could run out?