science

Land reclamation

Land reclamation is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Land reclamation rather than just read about it. In short: 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.

Key takeaways

Land reclamation belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Land reclamation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Land reclamation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

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. The term "reclamation" is a misnomer, and promotes confusion with land rehabilitation.

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 70 square kilometres (27 sq mi) of land in 1612. In Hong Kong, the Praya Reclamation Scheme added 20 to 24 hectares (50 to 60 acres) 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. 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. During the 18th and 19th centuries The Seven Islands of Bombay (now Mumbai) were joined with the help of several land reclamation projects like Hornby Vellard and Colaba Causeway.

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 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 Algeria

Much of the Bay of Algiers connecting islands such as the Peñón of Algiers Morocco

The Hassan II Mosque is built on reclaimed land. Nigeria

The Eko Atlantic in Lagos. Gracefield Island in Lekki, Lagos. South Africa

The Foreshore in Cape Town. Tanzania

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.

Bahrain

The north of Bahrain. China

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. India

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 24 km (15 mi) long and 4 km (2.5 mi) 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). Indonesia

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 Japan

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

Beirut Central District. Maldives

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

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. Pakistan

Much of the coastline of Karachi. Philippines

The North Reclamation Area in Cebu City. The whole 3 km2 (1.2 sq mi) 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.

Qatar

A part of the Hamad International Airport, around 36 square kilometres (14 sq mi). The entire Pearl Island situated in West Bay (Doha). Singapore

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. South Korea

Incheon International Airport Sri Lanka

Colombo International Financial City United Arab Emirates

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 Belarus

The southwestern residential area in Brest. Belgium

The port of Zeebrugge. Denmark

Certain areas of Denmark. Estonia

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Land reclamation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Land reclamation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Land reclamation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Land reclamation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Land reclamation

In research: Land reclamation appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Land reclamation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Land reclamation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Coastal construction, Environmental issues with water, Environmental soil science, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Land reclamation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Land reclamation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Land reclamation means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Land reclamation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Land reclamation in simple terms?

Why does Land reclamation matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Land reclamation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Land reclamation.