This post highlights the key findings from my recent op-ed published in The Jakarta Post. The Riau Islands have been designated as the priority area for sea sand dredging, with approximately 3.03 billion m² of area and 9.09 billion m³ of sediment set to be extracted. This trade benefits Singapore by supplying materials for land reclamation, but at a major environmental cost to Indonesia, threatening biodiversity and coastal communities.
I recommend the following actions:
1. The next administration should reinstate the export ban to protect Indonesia’s interests.
2. No more cheap natural resource exports—we must implement a sustainability framework to secure the environment for future generations.
Check out the full article and detailed maps below to see the potential negative effects on our environment.
The writer is a lecturer at the Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga. The views expressed are personal.
thanthowy 