Living on a Concrete Pool Float
By: Sneha Deepak
Land reclamation or building land on water has been popular, with wealthy nations such as Singapore, Dubai, and the Netherlands acquiring over 8000 km2 of sea to create new cities, and developing countries such as Indonesia pioneering the concept.
What do we know so far? (facts)
In the past, towns used dikes to contain shallow rivers and drained them to create dry ground. The Dutch city of Zuiderzee is one instance of this. Making room for its expanding population, the North Sea was dammed up and its water level drained in the 1900s. More solid methods, such as mixing cement directly in oceanic habitats and enclosing them with sea barriers, have been used in contemporary times. Therefore stimulating its urban expansion and economy, developing nations like Indonesia attempt to help its flooding during the regularly occurring monsoon seasons. While construction has begun on a new capital city on a different island – a controversial project with deep environmental concerns – engineers in Jakarta plan to build a giant sea wall-turned-residential complex shaped like the country’s national symbol, the Garuda. This project hopes to regulate better opportunities for jobs and urban housing.
This is the foundation for water's reaction to land reclamation, and it establishes a project's sustainability, environmental effect, and level of success. So, the question arises of whether the citizens of these nations will accept this new change.
Despite the advantages that coastal reclamation offers towns and the advancement of its techniques, it will inevitably affect the composition and dynamics of ocean habitats. According to studies, reclamation can change an ocean environment's bed slope, profile shape, and sediment particle size, which can impact local tide dynamics including amplitude, asymmetry, and tidal currents. When the ocean's natural currents are disrupted, water finds a way by intensifying the tides and wave activity, moving naturally and with more power in a different direction.
How do citizens feel about it? (opinions and concerns)
In urban areas, land reclamation is a solution to overcrowding and a way to create new spaces for housing and business. However, this can also lead to the displacement of local communities and changes in the area’s social fabric. On the other hand, some are worried about the environmental damage caused by land reclamation. For example, in the Maldives, land reclamation projects have raised concerns about harm to marine ecosystems, including coral reefs and seagrass beds. This can lead to loss of biodiversity and disruption of natural habitats with protests presented by citizens. Indigenous communities often view land reclamation through a different lens. For many, it is tied to the broader concept of reclaiming and protecting their ancestral lands and cultural heritage. This perspective emphasises the importance of land to their identity and way of life.
With the rise of land reclamation, we must consider the impacts on the lives of those who depended on these coasts and water bodies to feed their family. Despite the hope of economic improvements and opportunities, no one can say for certain the outcomes of these projects with the rising distrust in governmental bodies. The answer, as always, lies in the ability to navigate the complex puzzle between economic ambition and environmental sustainability as we find ourselves reclaiming more than just land but rather hope for better lives.