The Transition and Suggestions of Coastal Port Reclamation Policy in China

Abstract

China has the largest extent of reclamation in the world with an area of 2976 km2 from 2002 to 2018. The coastal reclamation was used for saltpan purposes in the 1950s and was applied for agriculture in the 1960s and 1970s. The aquatic products of China occupied large scale coastal wetland and provides huge amounts of fishes. Since 2000, the reclamation was used for port, industries and urban expansion. Ports are the key to land-sea coordination and regional development, and the study of port reclamation patterns and environmental strategies for port clusters is the focus of coastal zone sustainable development. Port is the only one type that depend on reclamation and port play an important role in driving economic development and world trades. Port reclamation in China has undergone several phases of acceleration, peak, deceleration, and stagnation since 2002. This research demonstrated the reclamation policy changes. New situation of port reclamation, such as the stronger demand for port reclamation and strict reclamation policies, ecological demands of port reclamation, the different reclamation stages, unbalanced spatial-temporal distribution of reclamation, coordination of reclamation-related policies, and imbalance between filling and dredging, were demonstrated. In the end, the research shows land use efficiency needs to be improved, the ecological restoration level should be enhanced, and the port reclamation model should be changed, port plan revision and land-sea integration should be improved. Therefore, the research has important implication for scientifically regulating the spatial pattern of port reclamation, and promoting the sustainable development of port-dense coastal zone.

Keywords: port reclamation, policy changes, environmental regulation