Vietnam ramps up scrutiny of threats from sand mining

HO CHI MINH CITY -- Vietnam is ratcheting up its scrutiny of mining sand, one of the world's most used resources but whose misuse is linked to erosion, sinking land and the collapse of homes.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh dispatched a note to five ministries and several localities to review the extraction of minerals for construction, especially sand, according to a Sunday post on the government website. The commodity has become a global business, mixed to create cement and to expand islands from China to Singapore, though Vietnam has restricted exports.