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

Zandoorlog

Sand is the new gold. The worldwide excavation of sand on beaches and in rivers and oceans is signalling an ecological and human catastrophe. A worldwide sand rush is taking place. Article by Peter Dupont. Translation by Rafael Njotea.

Better Urban Planning Needed To Dodge Disasters

With the world’s mega-cities growing even larger, policymakers, especially those in developing countries, need urban planning that will help these areas withstand the impacts of natural disasters.

Houses Built on Sand

The excessive extraction of oceanic sand has caused the large-scale erosion of China’s shoreline and fisheries, while a lack of regulation has allowed unstable sand to be used in construction.