Land Reclamation

An important way to increase our land supply.

Definition:
To recover land that has lost its productivity and to make
it usable again.

Land reclamation is also (commonly) used to refer to

creating dry land from an area covered by water (sea,
lake,swamp)

Why do we need to reclaim land?

 Land may be damaged due to natural hazards eg. Fires

 Human activities can also damage the land eg. Poor
farming methods.
 Cases of waterlogged land eg. Swamps and marshes
 Problem of land scarcity, where it may be difficult to
find new land to restore or improve.

What are the benefits?

1. Increases the availability of arable land.

2. Expanding the carrying capacity of land.
3. A feasible solution to the problem of overcrowding.
4. It allows for further growth of a country’s industries.
5. Reclaimed land can be used for a multitude of
purposes.

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Types of land that can be reclaimed – Derelict Land
Derelict land: Land that is damaged or abandoned and
cannot be put to any use until the damage is repaired.

What causes derelict land?

More commonly a result of human activities, although

Sometimes it can be caused by natural disasters.

Poor farming methods and mining are two human activities

that can damage the land.

What causes derelict land?

Farming:
 Fertility of arable land can be lost through poor
farming.
 Over-intensive use of land does not allow it to
replenish its lost nutrients in time.
 Fertility of land decreases over time.
 Land would then not be suitable for cultivation.
Mining:
 Vegetation and rocks are usually removed at the
mining site to obtain the mineral ores found
underground.
 Large holes dug into the ground become filled with
rainwater and form dangerous deep mining pools.
 Water is polluted.
 Mining wastes left behind may also contain toxic
substances that contaminate the soil and water in the
mining pools.
 Land becomes useless and is an eyesore.

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How do we restore derelict land?
1. Using fertilisers and irrigation – for land spoilt by
farming practices.
2. Restoring derelict land needs a little more work.
 Waste heaps need to be levelled and mining pools
filled.
 Chemicals can be used to treat contaminated soils.
 New vegetation can be planted to provide cover for
the soil to prevent topsoil erosion during the recovery
period.

Uses of reclaimed derelict land:

1. Agriculture
2. Industry
3. Housing
4. Recreational facilities (parks)

Creating New Lands – Reclaiming Wetlands

Wetlands: Areas that are flooded for all or part of the year
with fresh or salt water.

Types of wetlands:
1. Swamps------
2. Marshes-------------------- Identified by their
vegetation.
3. Bogs----------

A) Coastal wetlands:
 Influenced by tides of the sea.
 Usually flooded with salt water.
Eg. Mangrove swamps found in tropical areas.

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 - They are found along coasts and are subject to
flooding by sea water.
B) Inland wetlands:
 Found beside rivers and lakes and are covered with
freshwater.
 They are flooded when rivers overflow.

Why a desire to reclaim wetlands?

They are highly fertile as the wet conditions encourage the
growth of bacteria which decompose organic matter.
They can be converted to dry land to provide more land for
farming.
Wetlands can be reclaimed by draining out the excess
water.
 Building of dikes.
 Constructing drainage canals.
An area that has been drained is usually lower than the
surrounding areas.
- it is prone to flooding.
- it has to be filled with materials like sand and
rocks/gravel.
- they can be obtained from nearby hills and the
seabed.

Uses of reclaimed wetlands:

1. Recreation.
2. Housing.
3. Industry.
4. Agriculture.

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Reclaiming land from sea
Empoldering
- refers to the creation of polders, which are pieces of
land in a low lying area reclaimed from a body of
water by building dikes and through drainage.
- Although usually carried out in low-lying coastal
areas, it is also applied to areas that are further inland
like lakes.
Characteristics of polders:
1. Enclosed by dikes (also protects the polder from
erosion) to keep out sea or river water.
2. Polders are continually maintained by a system of
drainage canals and pumps:
- this prevents the them from becoming waterlogged.
- Windmills in The Netherlands are used to pump
water from the polders.
- Amount of water left in the soil is then suitable for
cultivation.
Stages of empoldering.
1. Construction of dike.
2. Area is then drained using pumps and drainage canals.
3. Soil formation via planting of Reeds, a type of plant
sown by aircraft.
4. After three years, reeds are burnt and ploughs used to
mix the fertile ash into the soil. Drainage pipes are
also constructed.
5. After 15 years, polder is ready for use.