Excerpt:
Restarting exports to neighbouring countries could fuel ecological devastation, but a sustainable approach to sand dredging may be possible…
Unregulated sand dredging in the early 2000s pushed Nipah to the brink of submersion, eroding its shores and threatening its existence.
This small Indonesian island near Singapore, measuring just 0.62 hectares at high tide and 60 hectares at low, was among several in the Riau Archipelago threatened by relentless sand extraction. Driven by demand for land reclamation and construction projects, the dredging devastated fragile ecosystems and jeopardised the future of these islands.
The Indonesian government intervened in 2003 by banning sea sand exports. In 2004, then-president Megawati Soekarnoputri visited Nipah Island and declared: “Nipah, the outermost island. Defend it to the last drop of blood.” Her words are now inscribed in stone on the island.
Two decades after Megawati’s declaration, Indonesia appears to be reversing course. In May 2023, then President Joko Widodo’s government lifted the ban on sand exports, citing financial opportunities amid growing global demand.
New regulations on sea sand exports were issued in Jakarta on 29 August 2024 and took effect the following month. As of October 2024, 66 eligible companies had applied for dredging permits, with the government currently assessing these applications.
While no official revenue target has been set for sea sand exports in 2025, due to the regulation’s recent enactment, the government has set a benchmark export price of USD 11.49 per cubic metre. Before the 2003 ban, Indonesia exported tens of millions of cubic metres annually, mostly to Singapore for land-reclamation projects.
The decision to resume exports has led to widespread protests. Critics argue it will result in the destruction of coastal ecosystems, fisheries and small island communities.
Indonesia has historically served as a key regional supplier of sand, but past extraction has resulted in severe environmental consequences, notably the rapid erosion and potential submergence of islands such as Nipah.
Sand dredging can also disrupt the delicate equilibrium of ocean ecosystems, polluting water and smothering marine life. This increased stress on systems such as coral reefs further diminishes their resilience to other human-induced pressures, such as climate change and ocean acidification.
Yonvitner, a coastal and marine expert at IPB University in Indonesia, warns of broader ecological impacts: “In addition to direct impacts, such as the destruction of mangroves, seagrass meadows, coral reefs, and fish habitats, sea sand dredging also causes indirect effects, including the release of carbon from aquatic sediments, disruption of the marine food chain, and degradation of beach cleanliness,” he says…
