Singapore Sand Imports from Cambodia Raise Alarm

Andy Ball, Mongabay

Cambodia has resumed exporting sand to Singapore, despite a national ban introduced in 2017 to protect fragile ecosystems. Officials in Koh Kong province say a dredging licence has been granted, though no formal announcement lifting the ban has been made.

Investigations by Mongabay tracked four bulk carriers sailing from Koh Kong to Singapore’s Tuas Port between June and July, where a vast land reclamation project is under way. Activist group Mother Nature Cambodia filmed barges dredging the Trapeang Rung River, inside protected areas that shelter endangered species and feed one of Southeast Asia’s largest mangrove forests.

Khlem Yonviseth, director of Koh Kong’s mining department, said the exports had “brought many benefits to the state” and would strengthen ties with Singapore. He insisted the dredging proposal had been studied and approved, but declined to provide documentation showing the ban had been lifted. National ministries have so far remained silent.

Campaigners warn the renewed trade risks repeating past damage. A decade ago, sand dredging in Koh Kong was blamed for collapsing riverbanks and depleted fisheries, forcing families to migrate or take on debt. That controversy led to the 2017 decree halting exports.

The company now operating, Catalyst Marine and Resources, is linked to Singaporean firm Starhigh Asia Pacific, which has a history of sand mining across the region. Satellite and radar data confirm vessels have been active along the Trapeang Rung since April, coinciding with Catalyst’s launch event.

For activists, the issue is not only environmental but political. Shrinking civic space in Cambodia makes it harder to challenge projects that threaten protected areas. “How many more tons of Cambodian sand will be lost?” asked Mother Nature’s Lisa Mean in a recent video.

With shipments once again reaching Singapore, the controversy highlights a familiar dilemma: economic gains for Cambodia versus long-term ecological costs. The absence of clear national guidance leaves open the question of whether the country is breaching its own ban.

-2026-08-12