Methods of Maximising Land Use

2.0LAND RECLAMATION

2.1Empoldering

Countries like the Netherlands and even Singapore use this method.In Netherlands,much of the country is below sea level.Thus,people build dykes to drain out the water to get more land.This is called empoldering.The red portion shows the reclaimed land from 1937-1988 when the Netherlands employed this method of land reclamation.

2.2Draining Swamps

This method requires the construction of a dyke that keeps out sea water.Freesh water is then brought in via canals.Excess water is then drained away to create land,mostly for agricultural purposes.One example is the Tanjong Karang Land Reclamation Scheme in Selangor,Malaysia.

2.3Restoring Derelict Land

When mining operations takes place,the soil and land become bare and when it rains, soil erosion takes place and restoration work is necessary.Examples are Bukit Timah,Bukit Batok and Pulau Ubin in Singapore, where mining activities took place.