The high level of corruption in Cambodia undermined the public’s trust in the government's regulations on the sand mining industry.
Illegal sand mining has been an ongoing issue in Thailand’s section of the Mekong River due to fragmented governance and “influential people.”
The need for sand to build roads and infrastructure in Vietnam charges ahead with few restraints as land and houses are lost.
The greed for grains of sand comes at an ecological disaster and fatal human cost; murders and other associated crimes which have taken a toll on poverty-stricken communities.
