Singapore Tipped to Gain

Indonesia Was a Major Supplier of Sea Sand for Land Expansion in Singapore, Shipping More Than 53 Million Tonnes on Average per Year Between 1997 and 2002.

Boon for Singapore as Indonesia Scraps 20-Year Ban on Sea Sand Exports

That Might Be Set to Change. Riau Islands’ Sea Sand Miners Association Chairman Heri Tosa Said Singapore Was the Indonesia-Based Association’s Primary Market for Sea-Sand Exports, and That Hong Kong Was Also Looking for Sand for Land Reclamation Projects, According to the Jakarta Post.

Small Sinking Islands

Sand Dredging Had Caused Islands in the Thousand Islands Regency North of Jakarta and the Riau Islands to Sink, While Also Harming Marine Ecosystems and Destroying Fish Habitats, Parid Said.

Whose Responsibility Is It?

Ninety per Cent of Singapore’s Sand Imports Were Still Coming from Indonesia up to 2007, According to Government Figures, Until the Archipelago Also Imposed a Ban on the Export of Sand Extracted from Inland Areas.

Malaysia’s Mahathir Bans All Sea Sand Exports to Singapore

But Environmentalists Like Greenpeace’s Afdillah Say They Have Little Hope That the Indonesian Government Will Be Able to Effectively Monitor Environmental Regulations.

Indonesia’s Green-Energy Export Ban Puts Asean’s Power Grid Plans at Risk

Meanwhile, Parid from Walhi Hopes Investors from Foreign Countries Consider the “Vulnerabilities of Indonesia and Its Environment” If They Want to Invest and Do Business with the Country.

Indonesian Fishermen, Activists Fear Loss of Marine Life, Islands as Sea-Sand Exports Resume

By Sarah Jenkins

• Oct 8, 2026 • 7 min read

Indonesian Fishermen, Activists Fear Loss of Marine Life, Islands as Sea-Sand Exports Resume

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

Singapore, 250Km Across the Sea from Rupat Island, Is Among the World’s Largest Importers of the Sea Sand That’s Essential to Its Massive Reclamation Ambitions. Even as Eriyanto Fears Parts of His Small Island Will Be Dissolved by Indonesia’s Reversal of the Export Ban, the City State Could Be Poised to Benefit.

Sarah Jenkins

Senior Technology Editor & AI Specialist

Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.

Tags: indonesian fishermen activists fear loss marine life islands sea sand exports resume