According to a report released by a US think tank, more than 7, 000 acres ( 28.3 sq km ) of coral reefs, or nearly 4, 000 football fields, have been destroyed by five South China Sea claimants based on an analysis of satellite images.
China and Vietnam were named among the worst offenders in the report from the Centre for Strategic &, International Studies ( CSIS), which was released last month. Dredging and landfill activities had caused “irreparable and long-term changes to the overall structure and health of the reef.”
Of the claims, China was concerned for about 65 per cent of the coast injury followed by Vietnam at 33 per share, according to the CSIS.
According to sea biologists, China’s land restoration efforts in the South China Sea, which involve dredging and creating artificial islands atop coral reefs, have resulted in significant ecological harm.
They contend that international climate contracts are essential to holding China and other nations accountable for protecting the marine environment as a result.
Coral reefs were “one of the most important ecosystems in the South China Sea,” according to a distinct CSIS report that was released in late 2023, with the waterway containing a sizable portion of the species found worldwide.