At independence Singapore was 581sq km (224sq miles). Now it is 710sq km and expanding. It gets through 1.5 billion cubic metres of dredged silica a year. The Government has been forced to draw on its strategic sand reserve, which Singapore hoards as other nations keep stocks of oil.Indonesia’s reluctance to export its own earth is about more than environmental conscientiousness. If Indonesia loses its islands it also risks losing the rights to the ocean surrounding them. Full Story
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