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Story summary
- UN experts label sand the “hero of development” and warn extraction threatens ecosystems, water security, and climate resilience.
- The Maldives hired a firm to dredge 24.5 million cubic metres of sand for Gulhifalhu, destroying 200 hectares of coral reef.
- In the Philippines, sand dredging for a 1,700-hectare airport removed Manila Bay’s floor, causing fish loss.
- A UNEP report says extraction outpaces replenishment and urges stricter sand governance with better data, mapping, monitoring, and transparency.
