Land reclamation for urban development explained

Thailand has recently proposed a project to reclaim land in Bang Khun Thian to create a new city and address flooding issues, as the escalating effects of global warming may cause sea levels in the Gulf of Thailand to rise by 5-6 metres, potentially flooding large areas in central Thailand.

The concept involves creating islands stretching from Samut Songkhram to Chonburi, planned as the “Pearl Necklace of the Gulf of Thailand”, where interconnected islands will form a path resembling a string of pearls, with water gates to control sea levels.

Many countries have used land reclamation and artificial islands to combat flooding and address land scarcity. Notable examples of successful large-scale reclamation projects include Dubai and the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is renowned for its land reclamation efforts. The country, which has battled the sea for centuries and deals with the challenge of having 26% of its land below sea level, has pioneered advanced water management technologies to create new land and protect against flooding.

Famous reclamation projects in the Netherlands include the Zuiderzee Works and the Delta Works.
The Zuiderzee Works transformed the shallow Zuiderzee Sea into a freshwater lake by reclaiming land, creating agricultural areas and space for urban development while preventing seawater from flooding low-lying regions.

Delta Works, a flood defence system consisting of dams and water control structures, protects against sea surges. It is regarded as one of the engineering wonders of the world and remains a crucial tool in the Netherlands' fight against flooding.

Dubai is another city that has used land reclamation to expand its city and create prominent real estate projects. Notable examples include The Palm Jumeirah and The World Islands, which showcase the use of reclaimed land to expand urban space, particularly as Dubai has vast desert areas, limited natural resources, and seeks to attract foreign investment to support economic development.

The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island shaped like a palm tree, home to luxury residences and hotels. Advanced construction technologies were employed to control water currents and prevent issues caused by ocean waves, demonstrating complex engineering used to create new land from the sea.

The World Islands is a group of artificial islands intended for high-end real estate and luxury hotel projects. Though unfinished, this project illustrates Dubai's commitment to expanding urban areas through land reclamation.

Although land reclamation has been successful in expanding urban areas and supporting economic growth in many countries, these projects also face significant environmental challenges. Reclamation can disrupt biodiversity, destroying marine habitats and ecosystems in the reclaimed areas.

Such projects also face maintenance challenges, as reclaimed areas require ongoing care, such as managing water currents, preventing coastal erosion, and addressing other physical changes to the newly reclaimed land.
Building cities on reclaimed land may seem like a short-term solution but in the long term, the risks posed by rising sea levels and extreme weather events from climate change raise questions about whether land reclamation is truly sustainable.

While many countries continue to pursue land reclamation to meet urban development and housing demands, experts emphasise the need to strike a balance between development and environmental conservation, taking into account the long-term impacts that land reclamation may have.