Singapore’s land area has increased from 581.5 square kilometres (224.5 square miles) in the 1960s to more than 700 square kilometres today. The government plans to grow the country by another 100 square kilometres by 2030. Almost all of this land reclamation has been undertaken using sand imported from nearby countries.
The country also needs vast volumes of sand for its massive construction industry, the result of an ongoing property boom in which any building over 10 years of age is potentially at risk of being demolished and replaced by an even larger one.
