CNA Explains: How Singapore could reclaim more land in the future

As Singapore explores major future reclamation projects, including Long Island and a potential new western island, CNA examined how the country could meet its growing demand for reclamation materials while reducing environmental impact.

Associate Professor Edward Park, whose research focuses on sand mining, highlighted the challenges of finding viable alternatives to natural sand.

While recycled materials such as excavated soil and treated marine clay are promising sustainability initiatives, A/P Park noted that they are unlikely to be available in sufficient quantities for reclamation projects requiring hundreds of millions of cubic metres of material.

He also pointed to manufactured sand, made from crushed rock, as another possible alternative. However, producing it at the scale required for reclamation would be highly energy-intensive and costly. Given these constraints, A/P Park said that natural sand is likely to continue seeing the greatest demand for large-scale land creation in the foreseeable future.

The CNA feature comes amid growing attention to how Singapore can balance its future land needs with the environmental and resource challenges associated with large-scale reclamation.

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