What are some negative things about land reclamation?
- Land abandonment. Part of drained land appeared to be not suitable for intensive agriculture or forestry and currently is abandoned and overgrown by trees and bushes.
- Maintenance costs. …
- Soil erosion. …
- Input to climate change. …
- Fire. …
- Impact on biodiversity.
What are the effects of land reclamation?
Reclamation usually leads to the decline of biological diversity, the decrease of natural wetlands, and the extinct of habitats for animals and plants. For migratory species, the living environment of marine plants and marine animals has been seriously affected. Why is land reclamation good?
What is the impact of land reclamation on wetlands in WCPM?
Land reclamation for development activities (infrastructure, industrial, recreation, and tourism) often results an adverse impact on mudflats, mangroves, and fish stocks in WCPM. Land reclamation off Prai in Penang and Kuala Juru for industrial purposes has threatened cockle farming because of high levels of heavy metals and sedimentation.
What are the risks of reclaimed land?
Reclaimed land is also a risk in earthquake-prone areas. The prolonged shaking can trigger a process called liquefaction, where the once-solid sediments of reclaimed areas can liquefy. This was a significant contributor to the devastation of the huge San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
Why is land reclamation controversial in Hong Kong?
However, it’s highly controversial because of the impact it would have on the surrounding environment. On one hand, land reclamation is seen as a good way to accommodate Hong Kong’s growing population, as well as a way of boosting economic development.
What are the disadvantages of land reclamation?
Land reclamation tends to be expensive because reclaimed soil is weak, compressible, takes many years to stabilize, and consequently not economic for tall buildings. Foundations are expensive because you can only build low-rise buildings on raft or mat footings and other expensive engineering measures.
Why is reclamation bad for the environment?
Reclamation usually leads to the decline of biological diversity, the decrease of natural wetlands, and the extinct of habitats for animals and plants. For migratory species, the living environment of marine plants and marine animals has been seriously affected.
How does reclamation help the environment?
Reclamation is the combined process by which adverse environmental effects of surface mining are minimized and mined lands are returned to a beneficial end use. End uses may be open space, wildlife habitat, agriculture, or residential and commercial development.
Is reclaimed land sustainable?
Is land reclamation sustainable? Land reclamation is not environmentally or economically sustainable. Polders became popular at a particular moment in time in which the environmental impact was not even taken into account.
Does land reclamation cause global warming?
The indirect impacts can involve geological changes and increase vulnerability to natural disasters. Reclamation processes also result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicle and machinery fuel use and through the release of carbon stored in vegetation, soils and sediment in mangroves and seagrass ecosystems.
What effect are brought by land reclamation?
Reclamation has been found to change shoreline evolution and wetland hydrology, deteriorate soil and water quality, alter vegetation succession, benthic animal and microbial communities and fisheries, and impair ecosystem functioning and services [6].
Why do we need land reclamation?
Returning disturbed land to a usable state is called land reclamation. The process of land reclamation by the oil and natural gas industry ensures that the land used is returned to a productive state.
Which country has the most reclamation?
China is the country that has reclaimed the most land from the sea through a land reclamation strategy, which is consistent with the scale of the country. It is the country with the highest population density worldwide, the third largest country in the world by area and it has one of the longest coastlines.
How does land reclamation pollute water?
A government review in 1996 stated that land reclamation would result in the “large displacement of the marine sediments and the development of mud-waves beneath the reclamation fill”. This would disrupt the ocean's ecosystem, lead to soil liquefaction, and pollute the water.
How does land reclamation affect climate change?
Land reclamation processes also result in greenhouse gas emissions, from vehicle and machinery fuel use, and through the release of carbon stored in vegetation, soils, and the sediment in mangroves, seagrass, and other estuary ecosystems.
What are the positive impacts of land reclamation?
Reclamation projects worldwide in strategic locations have created valuable land to support rising industrialisation and urbanisation demands due to population increase and the need to sustain long-term economic growth.
Does land reclamation raise sea levels?
Abstract: While land reclaimed from the sea meets the land demand for coastal development, it si- multaneously causes socio-economic systems to be prone to coastal flooding induced by storm surges and sea-level rise.
How does land reclamation pollute water?
A government review in 1996 stated that land reclamation would result in the “large displacement of the marine sediments and the development of mud-waves beneath the reclamation fill”. This would disrupt the ocean's ecosystem, lead to soil liquefaction, and pollute the water.
How does land reclamation affect climate change?
Land reclamation processes also result in greenhouse gas emissions, from vehicle and machinery fuel use, and through the release of carbon stored in vegetation, soils, and the sediment in mangroves, seagrass, and other estuary ecosystems.
Can reclamation cause floods?
Well-designed and properly constructed reclamation projects will not cause flooding.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of reclaiming land from the sea?
Advantages: More land has been made available for development. More buildings and infrastructure can be built, and also for other reasons. Disadvantages: Much greenery has been removed in order for the land needed. Land reclamation can be damaging to corals and marine life.
Why is reclamation rejected?
This might be because the land to be reclaimed might interfere with drainage channels or might be foreseen to cause environmental hazard in the nearest future.
How to dump clay on the seabed?
At the location, fill material is dumped by opening the bottom of the barge. Sufficient draft and clearance is required for this method. This method is used not only for granular material but also for stiff clay and soft clay. However, dumping of soft clay is not appropriate for deeper seabed conditions since soft clay can be detached, and the environment can be affected. Bottom-opening barges usually have a capacity of a few thousand cubic meters and the production rate of reclamation using bottom-opening barges is largely dependent upon the number of barges used and the distance between the borrow sources and the reclaimed area. The dumping location is generally controlled by a global positioning system. However, bottom dumping alone cannot complete the reclamation because it can only operate up to 2 – 3 meters depth below sea level. The next level of fill has to be raised by hydraulic filling or other means.
What is the process of reclamation called?
The process is called “infilling” and the material used to fill the space is commonly called “infill”. There are however other methods of land reclamation depending upon the type of fill material, foundation soil, topography of the seabed and the availability of equipment.
What are the disadvantages of land reclamation?
Land reclamation is associated with some dangers, such as flooding and soil liquefaction. Reclaimed lands are expensive and can be damaging to corals and marine life.
Why is reclamation important?
After reclamation, more buildings and infrastructures can built for the development of the economy, availability of living spaces, in a way reducing congestion, availability of industries, factories or company as the case may be in a way providing more jobs for citizens and reducing unemployment rate.
How does reclamation work?
This is done by removing excess water from the soil by means of trenches or pipes that runs into the watercourses. Land reclamation can be achieved with a number of different methods.
Where is the Dangote oil refinery?
The project site is larger than Victoria Island. It is located on 2135 hectares of land in Epe, Lagos and so far as at November 2016, dredgers have reclaimed 13 million m³ out of 30 million m³ of land. The Lekki Free Trade Zone was also reclaimed.
What are the problems with land reclamation?
A common concern associated with land reclamation is the longevity of soil and sand as infill materials. For instance, these materials often complicate land consolidation; as soil and sand struggle with compaction, Singapore reserves most infill materials for urban environments in need of deep foundations and thus threatens port yards and storage areas that require less infill with potential collapse. Soil liquefaction similarly illustrates the instability of reclaimed land; in response to sudden changes in pressure, sand can temporarily behave like a liquid and lose its ability to support larger structures (Figure 7). As a result, key pieces of Singapore's infrastructure like its roads, bridges, and airports are prone to collapsing. (Source: Civil Engineering RWTH Aachen University. (2016, December 14). Soil Liquefaction. [Video]. YouTube. Source Link)
How does land reclamation affect Singapore?
One of the most prominent positive impacts of Singapore's land reclamation is the improved sustainability of the country's urban spaces. According to Gardner (2016), sustainable cities need to work "in harmony" with nature by establishing "green spaces" and "green infrastructure" that purify the air, reduce artificial warming from buildings, and improve the health of their inhabitants (pp. 49-50). The additional land afforded to Singapore's cities from its reclamation projects encourages the development of these green spaces; since the initial expansion of the country, Singapore has maintained 0.8 hectares of park space per 1,000 civilians in its cities and completed construction on a network of 300 kilometers of green corridors around the main island that connect parks and nature areas like the plaza of "supertrees" to population centers (Figure 6). Coupled with the nearly 1.3 million trees and shrubs that are planted within its cities, this emphasis on establishing spaces for nature within Singapore's urban environments demonstrates how land reclamation has not only increased their biological diversity but ultimately created more livable cities.
How is land reclamation done?
The first step in reclaiming land involves the use of delimiting dykes, or barriers used to hold back water from a larger lake or ocean. Engineers position the dykes a few hundred feet from shore, install them deep into the ocean seabed, and drain the water behind the wall (Figure 2). As Singapore has maintained its appetite for land for decades, engineers now struggle with building dykes in water as deep as 20 meters. (Image by K. R. Olson, Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source Link)
What is Singapore's modernity?
At the surface, the southeast Asian country of Singapore represents an affluent site of modernity with widespread urbanization, centers for commerce, and nearly $1 trillion in sovereign wealth. In reality, Singapore is in a perpetual state of crisis; as increased rainfall from global warming continues to raise the sea level each year, the small country comprised of numerous shrinking islands often lacks sufficient land to support its growing population and economy. While some engineers proposed constructing infrastructure in the sky and on floating platforms in the Indian Ocean, Singapore's government instead employs another capital-intensive land formation strategy: land reclamation. While this method offers Singapore increased physical space to improve the sustainability of its urban landscapes, land reclamation nevertheless disrupts and displaces the native fauna and flora of its diverse coastal ecosystems.
How big is Singapore?
As a result of its endless land reclamation, Singapore's size has grown by 25% in half of a century from 224 to 277 square miles. A significant portion of Singapore's infrastructure also stands on reclaimed land; from Changi Airport to the Marina Bay Sands resort, some of the country's most iconic landmarks owe their existence to the additional space provided by these infills of sand, soil, and rock (Figure 5). And its government only seeks to expand these reclamation projects through the next decade; by 2030, government officials project Singapore's size to increase by 100 square kilometers. (Image by Shutterstock)
How much silt is in the Central Reclamation Project?
Greenpeace, in 2003, said the Central reclamation project would generate “580,000 cubic metres of toxic silt”. They accused the government of using “cheap and outdated” dredging methods that would dump toxic materials into the harbour. High concentrations of pollutants and heavy-metal contaminated mud would destroy the habitat and the well-being of countless marine animals. We can see how this has affected the wildlife through a look at the decrease in Chinese white dolphin numbers. Researchers from the University of Hong Kong have found that the dolphin population is declining at a rate of 2.5 per cent every year.
What would happen if land reclamation was done?
A government review in 1996 stated that land reclamation would result in the “large displacement of the marine sediments and the development of mud-waves beneath the reclamation fill ”. This would disrupt the ocean’s ecosystem, lead to soil liquefaction, and pollute the water.
Why is land reclamation controversial?
However, it’s highly controversial because of the impact it would have on the surrounding environment.
How many people live in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is home to more than 7.3 million people. The city, once a mountainous rural area, is now one of the world’s largest trading entities. Economic development is practically synonymous with urbanisation and, with the limited land space in Hong Kong, the city is fast coming up against the problem of overcrowding.
What is the meaning of the phrase "people mountain people sea"?
The phrase “People Mountain People Sea” is a literal translation from a Chinese idiom that is often used to describe the dense population in Hong Kong – and the irony in its use now lies in that there is no more “mountain” nor “sea” left in the city. Hong Kong is home to more than 7.3 million people. The city, once a mountainous rural area, is now ...
Why is environmental protection important?
Environmental protection is vital to sustainable and successful economic development. In other words, the government should invest in environmental preservation projects.
When did the government pass the Harbour Ordinance?
While the government has tried to pass a few environmental measures, like the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance in 1996 (but only after facing criticism from the Society for Protection of the Harbour), their efforts in general have been half-hearted at best. The “develop first, converse later” mentality they have can’t – and won’t – last forever.
How does land reclamation affect the coastal ecosystem?
Land reclamation threatens the coastal habitats. Most of these coastal lands are used for dumping municipal waste, disposal of sewage, and for the construction of ports and fish landing centers. These activities are observed especially in the Tuticorin area, which is a fast growing industrial hub. The Tuticorin Port has changed the coastal configuration, thus modifying the oceanographic parameters, which has led to erosion. The Pandiyan and Punnaiyadi Islands were destroyed to construct Tuticorin Port. Its further expansion recently might have worsened the situation due to destruction of mangroves, tidal flats, and coastal sand dunes. Similar problems from land reclamation are noted in the construction of a new port in Kanyakumari (Enayam Port), where shoreline modifications are already seen. A few small-scale land reclamation works have also occurred for the construction of recreational centres, roads, hotels, and parks. The conversion of coastal land into saltpans may also disturb the coastal habitats by increasing the land salinity. More scientific studies on the effects of land reclamation may help to understand the effects of such activities on coastal erosion and change in physicochemical properties of soil and water.
What is the role of the research institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR?
The research institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR are assigned the task of developing reclamation programmes. State control of the programme's implementation is exercised through local authorities and land management offices.
How has reclamation affected Singapore?
(2007) reported that most of the natural sandy shores have been lost to reclamation ( Tan et al., 2007 ). Construction of reservoirs by damming rivers and draining wetlands has also badly affected the habitats near river mouths and on intertidal shores. These have reduced coastal ecosystems drastically. Mangrove forest cover has been reduced from an estimated 13% in the 1820’s to only 0.5% of the total land area. Many of the original 60 offshore islands and patch reefs around Singapore have been reclaimed. Some were merged into larger islands. Since 1986, most coral reefs in Singapore have lost up to 65% of their live coral cover.
What is reclamation in the USSR?
An increasing concentration of disturbed land in mining areas of the USSR has made the problem of land reclamation the most important long-term programme of the nation in the field of natural resource management. The Special Degree of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union of 2 June 1976– On the Reclamation of Lands, Preservation and Rational Use of Fertile Soil Layers in Mining Materials and Peat, Exploration Surveys, Construction and Other Works —provides that the reclamation of the areas where minerals have been already extracted shall be funded by the state from special allocations, and industries with active mines shall reclaim disturbed lands at their own expense, all the costs involved being covered from production costs. The research institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR are assigned the task of developing reclamation programmes. State control of the programme's implementation is exercised through local authorities and land management offices.
What is the basis of mining laws?
The basis of most laws applicable to the mining industry and its effect on land seeks to control land management, protect resources and regulate land reclamation and landscape restoration. Although these laws are often specific to activities of the mining industry, they constitute an integral part of national efforts to optimize living conditions for man. The costs involved in environmental improvement are borne, in the first place, by those responsible for the mining activity. There is no doubt that legal provisions of this kind contribute to rises in production costs.
How much of China's coastal wetlands have been lost?
Marine habitats are permanently lost where land is reclaimed from the sea. It is estimated that nearly 51% of coastal wetlands in China have been lost due to land reclamation ( An et al., 2007 ). Land reclamation may also influence habitat types of coastal and terrestrial origin such as sand dunes or freshwater bodies.
What is land reclamation?
Land reclamation is the process of creating new land from the sea. The simplest method of land reclamation involves simply filling the area with large amounts of heavy rock and/or cement, then filling with clay and soil until the desired height is reached. Draining of submerged wetlands is often used to reclaim land for agricultural use.
