BERLINDA!
RUIXIN!
A geography blog.
Done by us! :D
Class: 203'10
For the project
RAFT Project.
ROLE, AUDIENCE, FORMAT, TOPIC!

203 RAFT
Amanda,XinYing,Louise
Candy,WenQi,Nerissa
Ivan,Vincent,Morris,ZhiThon

Other classes RAFT
Claire,Sipin
Sonia,Weilin
Ruiru,Kristie,Gillian,Cindy

archives » rewind: March 2010
Layout: AmericanRoyalty
Color codes: Color Picker Tool
Others: JumpThenFall, Plastic!Romance

@ 5:10 PM

The contents of our project includes:
- Description of the various ways to increase land
- Advantages and disadvantages of the different methods, in comparison to other countries' methods.
- Explaining the relevance of the method in Singapore context
- Description of how each land use type affect different parties.
- Use of photographs, videos, etc [either own production or acknowledge from source]
- Reflection

@ 5:00 PM

Description of the various ways to increase land

Land Reclamation

- Empoldering
Empoldering normally refers to the creation of a piece of land in a low-lying area reclaimed from a body of water by building dykes and by drainage, which is called polder. Polders normally constitute areas of land reclaimed from a body of water, such as the lake or the sea, and are consequently below the surrounding water level.

- Draining swamps
Wetland act like natural sponges as they capture surface runoff water and bring it back to the surface slowly. Wetland also prevents serious water level control problems and limit soil erosion. Dykes are also built along the coast to keep the sea water out of the former swamps. Fresh water is brought in from a river through a network of canals and excess water in the reclaimed land is removed by a system of drains.

- Reclaiming derelict land
Derelict land can be made useful if reclaimed. An example of derelict land is a disused quarry. The mining pools in such quarries can be filled up completely with non-toxic waste and treated with acidic substances like gypsum. In the past, there were mining activities in Singapore, as seen in the disused granite quarries in Bukit Timah, Bukit Batok and Pulau Ubin. As excavations proceed at the site, the bare soil and rocks beneath the land surface resemble that of a quarry or a mine. When mining operations cease, restorations works are necessary as rain would wash the soil heaps down the slope causing more erosion.

- Landfill
Putting sand into coastal waters will allow them to make new land. Large-scale land reclamation by landfill has been carried out in different parts of Singapore since the 1960s. Singapore reclaimed land from the sea using landfill method, for example, Marina City and Pulau Semakau. To reclaim land from the sea, dykes must be constructed in shallow parts of the sea to prevent the seawater from entering the area to be reclaimed. The area is then filled with sand, rock or soil.

Maximising land use
Since the amount of land that can be reclaimed is limited, land reclamation is not a long-term solution to the problem of land shortage. Land use planning is a suitable response to the rising demand for land as it can settle the conflicts about the land use so as to maximise existing land use.

- Mixed Land Use
Different activities, such as residential, commercial and industrial, are carried out together in the old city centre in large cities with a long history of development, thus forming a mixed land use.

-High-density buildings
The competition for land is more intense in cities. Therefore, buildings are built close together to allow more residential flats to house growing population and offer more offices to accommodate expanding economic activities. The density of buildings, especially in the central business district, is high. In densely populated cities like Singapore, skyscrapers are built close together.

-Terracing
Terracing increases the area of arable land, thus maximizing the exiting land use.

-Soil-less farming
It allows less land to be needed and the supply of food is not affected.

-Irrigation
It involves supplying water to areas that were formerly not suitable for cultivation. It also increase yields in existing farmlands by lengthening the growing seasons. Traditional irrigation methods include diverting water to the fields by simpler canals. Nowadays, perennial canals are built and these canals provide irrigation all year around. They are usually built in conjunction with large damn projects. Sprinklers driven by electric pumps are also widely used on modern farms to increase the efficiency of irrigation.

Increasing Price of Land
Land use is partly determined by opportunirt cost and the price mechanism.

Land prices change overtime from place to place. They are governed by the simple law of supply and demand. Higher land prices are caused by a decrease in supply or an increase in demand. The price mechanism refers to the process by which changes in price guide and shape changes in the value and types of goods and services that is produced. It also controls the allocation of land uses. Land prices generally decrease with the distance from the city centre. As a result, activities that are able to pay the highest rentals are often found in the city centre. Activities that require a larger floor area would more likely to be located in the outskirts of the city. When many businesses compete for the same favourable location, the price of land will rise.

Land is very valuable in cities like Singapore as competition among different land uses is intense. Price is an effective tool to allocate the scarce land in a competitive situation. The closer one gets to the city centre, the more expensive the land becomes. As a result of the high land value, activities that can generate high income or profits are usually found in the city centre.

The opportunity cost is the cost of a decision in terms of the value of the next best alternative. The opportunity cost of retaining open spaces and old buildings in the city is more available land for commercial purposes such as banking and hotel businesses. However, city planners realize that open spaces and architecturally significant old buildings co-exists with businesses by providing recreation, aesthetic beauty and a sense of history.

Land Clearance [Deforestation]
As the population increases, so do the needs of the people. More land is required for development, resulting in massive deforestation projects. Forests are often burned and cleared by commercial logging companies. The forests provide timber that can be made into various products such as paper and furniture for sale. The forest is also cleared for agricultural purposes. By clearing these forests, it also provides more land for different activities like residential, commercial and industrial.


Conservation of Land
Destruction of land has the following effects such as destroying the natural scenic beauty, disturbing the habitats of the living organisms and increasing the shortage of land. Land is known as an important natural heritage. Land conservation can minimise this loss and damage, so that more land can be made availiable for human uses.

@ 4:50 PM

Advantages and disadvantages of the different methods, in comparison to other countries' methods.

- Empoldering
Advantages:
1. Farmers will be able to control the water supply in their fields.
2. Large amount of land will be reclaimed.
Disadvantages:
1. It is costly.
2. It may cause farmers and dyke-builders to battle against the encroaching sea.
3. It may affect the environment.
Compare:
Unlike Singapore, countries such as the Netherlands have much of the land below sea level, therefore, they using empoldering method.

- Draining swamps
Advantages:
1. Prevents serious water level control problems.
2. Limit soil erosion
3. Bring fresh water in
4. More land available for farmland.
Disadvantages:
1. It might damage corals life and pollute the water.
2. It is not a long-term solution to the problem of land shortage as the amount of land that can be reclaimed is limited.
Compare:
Tanjong Karang Land Reclamation Scheme in Selangor, Malaysia have a land reclamation project to drain swamps of excess water by building canals and dykes unlike Singapore.

- Reclaiming derelict land
Advantages:
1. Useless land could be reclaimed and made useful.
Disadvantages:
1. Take a long time to restore the land.
2. It is costly.
Compare:
Singapore restores derelict land just like other countries.

-Landfill
Advantages:
1. Make new land by putting sand into coastal waters.
2. Filled with waste materials.
Disadvantages:
1. It is costly as dykes must be constructed and sand could be obtained from other countries.
Compare:
Singapore uses landfill method to restore the land as compared to other countries who do not really use.

- Mixed Land Use
Advantages:
1. Puts uses in close proximity to one another
2. Alternatives to driving, such as walking or biking
3. Provides a more diverse and sizable population and commercial base for supporting viable public transit
4. Enhances the vitality and perceived security of an area by increasing number and attitude of people on the street.
Disadvantages:
1. Social separation takes place.
2. High noise level.
Compare:
Singapore, just like Germany, has mixed land use in its country.

-High-density buildings
Advantages:
1. Allows more activities to take place in a small area.
2. It also allows peoples to travel short distances.
Disadvantages:
1. There might be high noise pollution due to too much activities happening at one time.
2. The buildings will be too compact together.
Compare:
Singapore, just like other densely populated cities have skyscrapers built close together.

-Terracing
Advantages:
1. It is an inexpensive method of increasing the area of arable land.
2. Bunds used in terracing prevent soil from being washed away.
3. The flat makes it possible for modern machinery to be used thus making farming a lot more efficient.
Disadvantages:
1. Terraces involve a lot of human labour and are difficult to construct.
2. A lot of effort is needed to maintain the terraces after they are constructed.

-Soil-less farming
Advantages:
1. More crops can be grown on a single area of land at the same time as they can be grown closer together.
2. It is effective in increasing the output of crops as sufficient amounts of nutrients can be delivered and distributes evenly to crops at regular intervals. It help to prevent the growth of weeds or insects.
Disadvantages:
1. It is costly.
2. It may not be practical in countries where farmers do not receive enough training to operate the high technology equipment.

-Irrigation
Advantages:
1. It ensures a steady supply of water, which allows farmers to grow greater amounts and wider varieties of crops.
2. Land previously unsuitable is made arable through irrigation.
3. It reduces the need of human labours by using computers.
Disadvantages:
1. Irrigation canals can hold stagnant waters and breed mosquitoes if not properly maintained.
2. Land may become waterlogged with poor drainage and crops will be damaged.
3. High amounts of dissolved mineral salts from the water of the river used can cause damage to crops.
4. Certain irrigation systems are expensive to construct, especially when a dam needs to build across a waterway to create a reservoir.

-Increasing Price of Land
Advantages:
1. Controls demand for land in urban areas.
2. It allocates the scarce land in a competitive situation so that peoples know how valuable land is.
Disadvantages:
1. Peoples who do not have enough money will not be able to buy that piece of land.
2. Land prices tend to be more and more expensive.
Compare:
In Singapore, land prices are caused by the supply and demand. However, in places like Malaysia, land prices are much higher in large urban areas and relatively lower in rural areas.

-Land Clearance
Advantages:
1. Provides more land
2. Sell products made from trees that are cut down
Disadvantages:
1. Habitats to be destroyed.
2. Soil erosion
3. Soil leaching
4. Top soil lose its fertility
5. Decrease in evapotranspiration
6. Decrease in rainfall
7. Greenhouse effects
- With forest vegetation, the carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuels can be reduced.
- With fewer trees, the Earth will be warmer.
Compare:
Deforestation hardly occurs in Singapore as compared to countries like Indonesia which has deforestation taking place throughout the year thus polluting the air.

-Conservation of Land
Advantages:
1) Minimise the loss and damage to the Earth
2) Reserves land for further development
Disadvantages:
1)Land cannot be used for different types of facilities.

@ 4:40 PM

Explaining the relevance of the method in Singapore context

Land reclamation through Landfill and draining swamps:

Singapore also has to overcome the constraints of limited land space. Large-scale land reclamation by landfill has been carried out in different parts of Singapore since the 1960s. Swamps along the Singapore River were filled to provide land for early settlers.

Besides reclaiming land by filling in the swamps, Singapore also reclaimed land from the sea using the landfill method, for example, Marina City and Pulau Semakau. Dykes must be constructed in shallow parts of the sea to prevent the seawater from entering the area to be reclaimed. The area is then filled with sand, rock or soil. The sand can be obtained from the seabed or imported from other countries, while the rocks and soil can be obtained from the hills nearby.

@ 4:30 PM

Description of how each land use type affect different parties.

Increasing price of land-
Industries:Provide its highest output as they pay huge amount for the land.

Land clearance-
Cattle ranchers & Plantation: Need large areas of land for the rearing of cattle and plantation agriculture. Thus, large areas of forests must be cleared for this type of farming.
Commercial logging companies: Forests provide timber that can be made into various products such as paper and furniture for sale.
Nation: Deforestation causes damage to the land, brings about soil erosion and affects the hydrologic cycle. With fewer trees, the Earth will be warmer.
Animals & Plants: Clearing the forest destroy their habitats.

Land reclamation-
Farmers: Could control the water supply in their fields from the reclamation. Do not need to depend on the rain and fight the flooding from the sea.
Community- More space for housing and recreational usage.

Maximising land use-
Community: Buildings are built close together. This allows for more residential flats to house a growing population and offers more offices to accommodate expanding economic activities.
Farmers: Terracing increases the area of arable land, maximising the exisiting land use. Soil-less farming uses less land however, the supply of food is not affected. Irrigation increase yields in existing farmlands by lengthening the growing seasons.

Conservation of land-
Community: Land conservation minimise the loss and damage of land, so that more land can be made available for human uses.

@ 4:20 PM

Use of photographs
Description below the images.

@ 4:10 PM

Reflection

Rui Xin
The changes in Singapore is inevitable. As the country grows, there are more people. At the same time, when the population increases, their needs increase too. Singapore then have to overcome the shortage of land as we need more land to satisfy our needs. If Singapore do not change the land, we would not have sufficient space to build the things we need.

The growing population is responsible for this change as they need more space to build the things they want. Such as, housing and recreational purposes.

In conclusion, the change allows the population to get to use the land for our own purposes. For example, housing, transport and recreational. However, the animals will lost their habitats when we clear the land for our own needs. Overall, it is the community that benefits.

Berlinda
The changes are inevitable. With the population of Singapore growing continuously, more and more land would be required to satisfy their needs. Therefore, Singapore would have to reclaim lands so as to have sufficient space to allow different activities to be carried out. As the population continues to grow, more land would be required for residential, recreation and industries purposes. Thus, the current land would have to be changed to something that benefits the growing population as well as the economy.

Humans are responsible for these changes. Due to all the needs that we want, more land has to be used to satisfy every single one of them, such as housing and recreational needs. Therefore, humans are responsible for harming the nature as well as the environment.

The change benefits the growing population as it allows them to use the land for their own purposes such as housing, transport and recreational purposes. However, it causes great harm to the environment. It causes the fishes and corals to die due to land reclamation and also causes the animals in the forest to lose their habitats due to land clearance. Deforestation also causes global warming which harm the environment as well as the earth. In conclusion, even though the change benefits the growing population by satisfying their needs, it changes great harm to the environment as well as the earth.