Reclaimed land

Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground, reclaimed land, or land fill.

History

In ancient Egypt, the rulers of the Twelfth Dynasty (c. 2000–1800 BC) undertook a far-sighted land reclamation scheme to increase agricultural output. They constructed levees and canals to connect the Faiyum with the Bahr Yussef waterway, diverting water that would have flowed into Lake Moeris and causing gradual evaporation around the lake's edges, creating new farmland from the reclaimed land. A similar land reclamation system using dams and drainage canals was used in the Greek Copaic Basin during the Middle Helladic Period (c. 1900–1600 BC). Another early large-scale project was the Beemster Polder in the Netherlands, adding of land in 1612. In Hong Kong, the Praya Reclamation Scheme added of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction. It was one of the most ambitious projects undertaken during the era of colonial Hong Kong.Bard, Solomon. 002(2002). Voices from the Past: Hong Kong 1842–1918. HK University press. Some 20% of land in the Tokyo Bay area has been reclaimed, most notably Odaiba artificial island. The city of Rio de Janeiro was largely built on reclaimed land, as was Wellington, New Zealand.

Methods

Land reclamation can be achieved by a number of different methods. The simplest method involves filling the area with large amounts of heavy rock and/or cement, then filling with clay and dirt until the desired height is reached. The process is called "infilling" and the material used to fill the space is generally called "infill". Draining of submerged wetlands is often used to reclaim land for agricultural use. Deep cement mixing is used typically in situations in which the material displaced by either dredging or draining may be contaminated and hence needs to be contained. Land dredging is also another method of land reclamation. It is the removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of a body of water. It is commonly used for maintaining reclaimed land masses as sedimentation, a natural process, fills channels and harbors.

Notable instances

Africa

* The Hassan II Mosque is built on reclaimed land.

* The Eko Atlantic in Lagos.
* Gracefield Island in Lekki, Lagos.

* The Foreshore in Cape Town.

* Stone Town in Zanzibar.

Asia

* Parts of the coastlines of mainland China, Hong Kong, North Korea and South Korea. It is estimated that nearly 65% of tidal flats around the Yellow Sea have been reclaimed.

* The north of Bahrain.

* Inland lowlands in the Yangtze valley, including the areas of important cities like Wuhan.
* Nanhui New City in Shanghai
* Haikou Bay, Hainan Province, where the west side of Haidian Island is being extended, and off the coast of Haikou, where new land for a marina is being created.
* The Cotai area of Macau, where many casinos are located.
* Parts of Shekou in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

* Much of the coastline of Mumbai, India. It took over 150 years to join the original Seven Islands of Bombay. These seven islands were lush, green, thickly wooded, and dotted with 22 hills, with the Arabian Sea washing through them at high tide. The original Isle of Bombay was only long and wide from Dongri to Malabar Hill (at its broadest point) and the other six were Colaba, Old Woman's Island, Mahim, Parel, Worli and Mazgaon. (See also Hornby Vellard).

* The shore of Jakarta Bay. Land is usually reclaimed to create new housing areas and real estate properties, for the rapidly expanding city of Jakarta. So far, the largest reclamation project in the city is the creation of Golf Island, north of Pantai Indah Kapuk.
* Giant Sea Wall Jakarta

* Nagoya Centrair Airport.
* Kansai International Airport, Osaka.
* Much of Tokyo Bay, including Port of Tokyo, Haneda Airport, and Tokyo Disneyland.

* Beirut Central District.

* Hulhumalé Island, one of the six divisions of Malé City.
* Addu Atoll, the southernmost atoll of the Maldives.

* Forest City, an integrated residential and tourism district in Johor, Malaysia, was controversial due to its reclamation of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in a designated Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Rank 1 area.

* Much of the coastline of Karachi.

* The North Reclamation Area in Cebu City.
* The whole business district of Cebu South Road Properties in Cebu City.
* The shore of Manila Bay, especially along Metro Manila, has attracted major developments such as the Mall of Asia Complex, Entertainment City and the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex.

* A part of the Hamad International Airport, around .
* The entire Pearl Island situated in West Bay (Doha).

* The city-state of Singapore, where land is in short supply, is also famous for its efforts on land reclamation.
* The size of Singapore has increased by 25% from 581.5 square kilometres in 1960 to 725.7 in 2019. This is part of the nation's plans to create more homes and common spaces in the land-scarce city-state. Upcoming projects include the Long Island project, involving the reclamation of three tracts of land (expected to span around 800 ha), which is set at a higher level to protect against rising sea levels. It will also enclose a body of water, acting as a reservoir, strengthening the nation's water resilience. Detailed technical studies are currently under way, lasting five years. This project would take a few decades to plan and implement.

* Incheon International Airport

* Colombo International Financial City

* Some of the coastline of Saadiyat Island which is used for commercial purposes.
* The Palm Islands, The World and hotel Burj al-Arab off Dubai.
* The Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Europe

* The southwestern residential area in Brest.

* The port of Zeebrugge.

* Certain areas of Denmark.

* Paljassaare, Tallinn is a peninsula consisting of two former islands connected to the mainland during the 20th century
* Port of Tallinn is largely built on land reclaimed over centuries.

* Helsinki (of which the major part of the city center is built on reclaimed land).

* Airport of Nice

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