The area is then covered and filled with more clay and soil until the targeted height is reached. May 25, 2016 . In addition to the environmental impact, land reclamation harms efforts to conserve Hong Kong’s cultural heritage. In 2018, the Hong Kong government announced its latest massive land reclamation project – the “Lantau Tomorrow Vision” plan. However, the impact of land reclamation on soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry, microbial quantity, and enzyme activities has been rarely studied. Draining of submerged wetlands is often used to reclaim land for agricultural use. . According to the government’s planning concept, the Kau Yi Chau island will create more than 40 million square feet of commercial floor space, the size of Hong Kong’s Central district. More turbulent waters can decrease sunlight and affect marine photosynthesis, and polluting substances can be consumed by smaller fish and increase the food web’s toxicity. Land is to be considered the most important aspect of production, especially agricultural production. With a worsening dead zone and being surrounded by a discharge point, one could easily make the argument that this is neither eco-friendly or particularly attractive to a potential homeowner. , land reclamation projects are normally completed by excavating soil from mountains along the coastline. Image 1: South China Morning Post: Visual history of land reclamation in Hong Kong before 2018. In recent decades, sea enclosing and land reclamation has become an important way in China to accommodate the increasing need of space for living and development. Among these units, the government will look to provide affordable public housing units, for which 80-90% of Hong Kong households are eligible to apply. Land reclamation is one of the main areas of interest for the dredging industry. And, of the HK$550 million budget, HK$350 million will be used for engineering design. ADVERTISEMENTS: Essay on the Importance of Land in Agriculture! Despite being a fixture in the history of Hong Kong’s development, land reclamation as a practice has recently been met with public criticism towards its impact on the city’s natural and cultural heritage. Much of the territory’s infrastructure projects were only achievable through land reclamation, including the Hong Kong Airport, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the expansion of the city’s MTR metro system in Victoria Harbour. Assessment of the environmental impact of land reclamation 2 The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the “OSPAR Convention”) was opened for signature at the Ministerial Meeting of the former Oslo and Paris Commissions in Paris on 22 September 1992. The Land Resources Team specializes in Reclamation-wide lands, realty, and recreation. This included the Central and Wan Chai reclamation project which had been endorsed as early as. In 1973, the government consolidated its vision for urban population growth by announcing a new development initiative, termed the New Town Development Programme, focusing on urban development projects across Kowloon, New Territories and Lantau Island. 260 000 to 400 000 residential units from the “Lantau Tomorrow” from 2032. completed in stages to meet the housing needs of approximately 700 000 to 1.1 million people. HSWLT is proud to support the High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew Environmental Reclamation Team in their efforts to reclaim and clean up trespass marijuana grown on public lands. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or land fill. Even if the government were to lean towards the private sector for help (which it has been attempting to tap into), this would most likely be unable to account for all future costs that will be accrued from the enormity of the project. This first land reclamation project extended the shoreline by 15 metres. It aims to replicate Central’s functions too: the business district will host an extensive transportation network that connects with Central on Hong Kong island, enabling high value-added logistics and business services on par with the development of the Greater Bay Area market. Imagine, you walk out your door and right there in your backyard is a giant mound of dirt. Before starting a land reclamation initiative, it’s better to be really familiar with the term. Environmental concerns over the protection of Hong Kong’s marine environments are growing due to the increasing interconnectedness of cities along the Pearl River Delta (PRD). , the size of Hong Kong’s Central district. Given the prevailing role of private enterprise in early reclamation projects, the practice was conducted in a regulated but uncoordinated manner until the mid-20th century. The new towns of Kwun Tong (built in the 1950s), Tsuen Wan (built in the 1960s), Sha Tin and Tai Po (both built in the 1970s) were all largely reliant on reclamation, and were the first satellite town development projects aimed at accommodating growing population size and opening up new spaces for economic activity. As a response, the Hong Kong government forgoed the private enterprise-driven approach to land reclamation, and intervened directly to create new habitable land to accommodate the city’s rapidly growing population. The government envisions an additional 260 000 to 400 000 residential units from the “Lantau Tomorrow” from 2032, completed in stages to meet the housing needs of approximately 700 000 to 1.1 million people. Land reclamation has been a common practice to produce valuable land in coastal areas. This phenomenon of ocean grabbing dispossesses marine resources and spaces that fishers and coastal communities depend on. On the topic of Hong Kong’s developmental policy taking precedence over conservation efforts, Dr. Lam stated: “Hong Kong likes to adopt the ‘development first, conservation later’ approach. The territory’s British rulers opted to combine the rubble with soil from nearby hill slopes and deposit it in the harbour to create a new roadway along the coastline. generally involves filling a selected area with large amounts of rock, earth and potentially cement. Dr. Lam highlighted the unprecedented low numbers of marine species iconic to Hong Kong, including the Chinese white dolphin and the horseshoe crab, species whose habitats have been disrupted by massive land reclamation projects. https%3A%2F%2Fearth.org%2Fland-reclamation-hong-kong%2F. Egypt: Egyptian Land Reclamation Efforts. Land reclamation can be achieved by poldering or by raising the elevation of a seabed or riverbed or low-lying land by: dry earth movement; or; hydraulic filling. With these concerns in mind, the government should consider some of the following mitigation measures. In Alberta, Canada, for example, reclamation is defined by the provincial government as "The process of reconverting di… A field survey conducted in 2019 identified the Lantau dead zones, where oxygen around the sea floor had dipped to 2 milligrams per litre – the threshold for marine life to survive – or lower. The reclaimed land on the Northern shoreline of the Marmara Sea has reached 80% as of 2014. Another method would be that the proposed islands be designed in such a way that major marine passages would not be blocked and currents could be sped up. The Convention entered into force on 25 March 1998. However, a change to arable land after reclamation would have the opposite effect of increasing the albedo. This targeted Boosting – helps us to reach wider audiences – aiming to convince the unconvinced, to inform the uninformed, to enlighten the dogmatic. Originally, Hong Kong’s confining topography was not conducive to extensive urban development, as a craggy coastline, steep mountains and limited flat land restricted early settlement options. Water will likely stagnate as the water’s ability to flush out waste water (discharges from the Pearl River Delta and around HK) will weaken, which will lead to stagnant harbours across the artificial islands. In addition, further work associated with land reclamation could worsen water quality, lead to a higher proportion of red tides and dead fish and bad odours. SCMP. Since the British Empire’s colonial presence in Hong Kong, the city’s chronic overcrowding and housing allocation challenges have made land reclamation an attractive policy for the city’s legislators. The average life of a natural gas well is 20 to 30 years. South China Morning Post: Visual history of land reclamation in Hong Kong before 2018. to satisfy population growth and demands related to the capacity of the city’s service economy. Reclaimed land is also a risk in earthquake-prone areas. However, this new space and opportunity comes at a significant cost; with its heavy price tag, it will drain the city’s fiscal reserves, which have already been severely depleted by the COVID-19 pandemic. One first objective is to make the reclaimed areas usable from an economic point of view. More buildings and infrastructure can be built, and also for other reasons. The debris is then used to either extend the coastline … While mainland China tends to regulate land reclamation practices more strictly than Hong Kong, reclamation projects connecting infrastructure between cities along the PRD are. This included the Central and Wan Chai reclamation project which had been endorsed as early as 1989. Land reclamation as well as can be defined as revitalized the abandoned land that intended to minimize the negative effects that the site may have on the surrounding environment and to maximize its aesthetic and ecological functionality. Ultimately, a comprehensive study examining ocean hydrodynamics, nutrient sources, waste water cycle in the environment and affected ecosystem will be necessary if we are to proceed with any form of land reclamation project. Between 1851 and the early 20th century, most land reclamation projects took place off the northern coast of Hong Kong Island where the British colonial offices were located, primarily between what are now the Kennedy Town and Causeway Bay neighbourhoods. The large-scale reclamation plan for the expansion of Central and Wan Chai that began in the 1990s elicited a negative public response, which mainly criticised the loss of natural and cultural heritage in exchange for minimal benefits for average citizens. Polder, tract of lowland reclaimed from a body of water, often the sea, by the construction of dikes roughly parallel to the shoreline, followed by drainage of the area between the dikes and the natural coastline. 4. Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Land reclamation can occur by either the process of poldering or by raising the level of a seabed or a low lying field. With the increase of people globally, land reclamation is essential. Video: Land Reclamation and Innovation in Canada’s Oil Sands. The process of land reclamation by the oil and natural gas industry ensures that the land used is returned to a productive state. We promise, no spam! In 2018, reclaimed land represented 6% of Hong Kong’s total area and 25% of its developed land. turned out to protest the Edinburgh Place Star Ferry Pier’s demolition, vocalising public dissent to further impact on the natural harbourfront. Land reclamation has been an integral component of Hong Kong’s development since the territory’s colonial era, as the practice has permitted the city to accommodate its population and foster economic growth. In response, the government pivoted once more to evaluate the potential for mass land reclamation projects outside of Victoria Harbour to satisfy population growth and demands related to the capacity of the city’s service economy. The majority of this area was reclaimed in the New Territories and its islands. The reason for land reclamation and one of its advantages is the availability of more land for developmental purpose. Water will likely stagnate as the water’s ability to flush out waste water (discharges from the Pearl River Delta and around HK) will weaken, which will lead to stagnant harbours across the artificial islands. The first modern use of land reclamation as a policy measure in Hong Kong occurred in 1851. Land rehabilitation is a process of restoration to bring an area of land back to its natural state after it has been damaged or degraded, making it … The territory’s British rulers opted to combine the rubble with soil from nearby hill slopes and deposit it in the harbour to create a new roadway along the coastline. If all of these strip mine locations were left the way coal and oil companies leave them, we would end up with a gigantic mess. Low oxygen levels can create “dead zones,” which will suffocate marine life and cause others to flee the area. until the mid-20th century. (2015) ‘Making Ground, Losing Space: Land Reclamation and Urban Public Space in Island Save as: AGRIS_AP RIS EndNote(XML) Reclamation Plant Sewage sludge Using Sludge for Land Reclamation • There is a shortage of land reclamation materials in Singapore. " [Importance of land reclamation in water resources management in Syria]. Pumping water out of muddy land or marshes is known as poldering. It is the predicted environmental damage from the project that has led to strong resistance from the public. Land reclamation generally involves filling a selected area with large amounts of rock, earth and potentially cement. Reclaimed land houses around 27% of Hong Kong’s population and 70% of its business activities. Much of the territory’s infrastructure projects were only achievable through land reclamation, including the Hong Kong Airport, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the expansion of the city’s MTR metro system in Victoria Harbour. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or land fill. People have the false feeling that we can preserve habitats and species after development.”, In 2018, the Hong Kong government announced. 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