Geography Chapter 7 Land Supply Major Breakdown of Chapter 1) Causes of Rising Land Demands 2) Solutions of Rising Land Demands

Causes of Rising Land Demands Increasing population With increasing populations, more land is needed for human activities, every piece of land has a fixed carrying capacity, when the land is used to such, there will be a greater demand for new land.. Carry capacity refers to the maximum number of people it can accommodate without the straining its resources. When the population increases, the same amount of land are to be shared among more people, resulting in strained land use, leading to a greater demand for new land, Increasing Wealth As people become wealthier, they no longer contented with a certain amount of land they own, having have the ability to purchase larger ones. This results in a greater demand of land through many areas. Increasing transport development As population increases, more areas become developed to accomadate the increasing amount of people and results in the increase of population density of areas. This results in the need of a more comprehensive transport system to enable the movement of people & goods efficiently. Many countries often have close to 20% of land used for transportation. Singapore has 3,750m2 of roads and the remainder largely taken up by Changi Airport and Port of Singapore. Increasing demand for Housing With a larger population comes a larger need for housing, thus more land will have to be used for housing purposes. The increase in wealth also increases the land used and as people become wealthier and desire larger housing, accommodating more land per person, increasing the demand for housing.

Increasing demand for arable land Only 16% of the earths surface is suitable for farming, making arable land very valuable & highly sought after. This is because a large majority of land are either infertile or of an unsuitable climate. With a larger population, much more food will also be needed to be produce food to feed people. Hence, more land will have to be used for agricultural purposes, resulting in higher demands for such land. Increasing demand for recreational spaces With a growing population, more recreational spaces will have to be made to provide recreation. This includes swimming pools, parks and nature reserves. The increase in wealth also means more will be willing and want to spend money on such areas, therefore, further increasing the demands for recreational spaces. Growth of Industries With a growing population, more jobs will have to be created. This is often made via industrialisation. This means the rate of land used would increase by the creation of jobs via the building of factories, for manufacturing industries or offices for the development of businesses, resulting in more land used. Currently 10.9% of the land in Singapore is used for such purposes to help keep the unemployment rate low at 2%. Limited supply of land Land makes up to 30% of the Earths surface. This includes lands which are not readily available like swamps, marshes, low-lying coastal areas which are constantly water logged or flooded and deserts which are too dry. Land may also be damaged through mining, poor farming methods & industrial dumping, resulting in soil degradation or total unsuitability (mining). Such lands would have to be treated before they can be used. Moreover, some lands which are suitable for humans use would be reserved for certain uses such as water catchment areas or military training areas, which take up more than half of the total land is Singapore.

Solutions Increasing the price of Land (SAME LAND)

1. When the supply of land cannot meet demand, the price of land increases because people, developers are willing to pay more for that particular piece of land, pushing prices up. 2. Increasing the price means when housing price is low, the government implements policies to bring the housing prices up such as 3.This high prices hence, discourages people from purchasing land. 4. Rental prices in Tokyo for a single bedroom unit are even higher than $1600 due to the high demand (needs: high population, wealth: wealth) and low supply. 5. The high prices will hence reduce the number of people who desire to have bigger housing as it discourages people from using land due to prices, however, people who want housing as a need will not be deterred. Conserving Land 1. With a huge majority of Earth used for housing, industries, agriculture & other facilities, there is a huge need to protect a nations forest & Nature. 2. It refers to careful use of land resources to minimise damage or interference by man Increasing supply of land(SAME LAND) Land Clearance One way to meet the demands is to increase supply to meet demands. It is a process whereby land is cleared by either: Demolishing old buildings or deforestation, resulting in empty plots of land which will be available for development or other sorts of land use. Pros & Cons This method is quick and efficient. However, deforestation leads to the loss of habitats for animals & plants. This will lead to the death of animals & plants and might lead to endangerment or even extinction, having negative consequences to the whole food web. Land Reclamation It is the creation of dry land from land previously covered by water (e.g. swamps, sea or lakes) It also includes the process of restoring or recovering land that has been damaged or abandoned, making it usable again. Landfill It is done by draining the desired area(body of water) and filling it with material to create dry land.

Example of such projects include the Central Japanese airport & Singapores Jurong Island. Steps 1. Piles(Columns of Sand) are forced into soft clay of the seabed. This is to help Stabalise the seabed. 2. A Sand wall will be built around area to be reclaimed, Sand is also to be loaded into sea outside the sand wall & stored there until needed. This keeps water out. 3. Sand previously stored outside sand wall sucked & pumped into enclosed area. Sand is also spread around with spreaders. This is done so additional Sand will raise the level of seabed 4. Sand is then compressed. Granite wall is then built on sea facing side. Compacted sand reduces time needed for settling.The Granite wall also prevents erosion by sea waves 5. Trees & Vegetation will also be grown on reclaimed land, the land should be left to rest for up to 5 years. Vegetation will prevent soil erosion while it rests to stabalise itself Effectiveness Current technology only allows reclamation of land to up to 15m in dept. Despite this being able to largely increase land supply, however, there have been effects made to the environment such as affecting of growth of coral reefs & marine life. Furthermore others can juck up price when one knows that the land buyer is in desperate need of such Singapores Limitation Surrounded by other countries, cannot reclaim land pass boundaries -Malaysia & Indonesia claim that landfills have affected the seabed of neighboring countries, causing changes in shipping routes. - Sea space is also required to maintain accessibility to the port of Singapore -. It also is very costly to import sand. -Malaysia & Indonesia have also both banned the export of sand to Singapore. Empoldering Empoldering involves the draining out of large water bodies with the assistance of dikes to prevent water from coming in so as to achieve more land. It is usually carried out in low-lying coastal areas, however, it can also be carried out further inland in lakes. Successful projects include the Zuider Zee.

1. Dikes are constructed around area to be reclaimed to prevent water from entering. 2. Water in such areas are then drained by pumps and Canals. 3. Reeds (plant) are then sown by airplanes to help form soil in such areas. 4. After 3 years, the reeds are then burned and ashes of reeds are then used as fertilizers for soil. 5. Land will then be rested for up to 15 years so as to allow land to mature and to be used for agricultural needs. Pros & Cons The cost involved in this process are also high. This includes the construction of facilities like dikes, canals & pumps. The cost for maintenance to prevent re-flooding is also high. For instance, the Maeslantkering (a dyke in Netherlands, to prevent flooding) cost 660 million to built. Reclaiming Derelict Land Land that is damaged by natural disasters: forest fires, severe floods & droughts or improper human activities: improper farming / mining wastes improperly disposed are referred as derelict land. Improper Farming Activities Loss of fertility occurs when different harvests of crops are grown too quickly after one another this occurs because there is an insufficient time for the nutrients to be replaced, resulting in the loss of fertility. Practices like excessive ploughing Mining Waste Land can also be damaged through mining. This includes the removal of mineral ores, vegetation & soil. Huge holes are dug and during heavy rain, large pools of murky water is contained in the hole, posing a serious safety hazard. Heaps of waste are also dumped and left behind, making the area unsightly & may also Improper Waste Disposal

of fields can also result in contain poisonous substances, soil erosion due to soil contaminating soil. structure loosening. This means nutrients are loss & soil is no longer suitable for cultivation.

Derelict land can be reclaimed into arable land by simply through the adding of fertilizers. This helps restore the nutrients in the soil, making it arable again.

Land derelict through mining activities are greater, more work hence needs to be done. Waste heaps would have to be leveled out and mining pools would have to be filled. Chemicals are also used to treat contaminated soil. New vegetation could also be planted to prevent soil erosion from occurring again. Examples of such land include Taiping Lake garden and Mines Resort City, which was the largest open cast tin mine in the world, covering 1,300 acres & Sunway Lagoon in Malaysia both used for recreational purposes.

Maximizing Use of Land (SAME LAND) Urban Landuse Mixed land use In the past, cities were planned based on zones whereby different areas on a piece of land were assigned a specific example. However, people had to travel long distances to move from one zone to another. This will allow for land to meet the needs of more users as mixed landuse often takes place where shopping malls, offices, housing and hotels are in an area. This are closely packed and are linked via walkways and escalators. Some are even in a same building linked by lifts. This adds convinces to residence having not need to travel to have a meal or shop. Examples of such land use include Suntec City in Singapore.

Advantages This enables a large group of facilities to be within walking distance from each other thus allowing convenience of

Disadvantages Requires the reconstruction of new & old buildings as well as transport networks. This can be very expensive

having their homes, services and even jobs close to each other. Enables a greater variety of transport Locating residential areas close to options to be used especially the ones like industries & shopping malls may result in cycling, walking which are eco-friendly traffic congestions, noise & air pollutions from human & vehicle traffic NIL The housing prices will be high and people may no be able to afford.

Another way that existing land uses can be maximized is through high density building. technological advances have enabled taller buildings to be constructed such as buildings like Princess tower (101 storeys) in the Marina district of Dubai where land is scarce but in high demand, usually in cities like Shanghai and Singapore. These areas are described as high density areas where many people work and live per unit area. In Singapore, the HDB has planned to build flats 30 storeys or more. Many of these flats will be located in the more established housing estates such as Bishan and Toa Payoh, or areas with the vicinity to the city Tanjong Pagar. A clear example would be the pinicale @ duxton, which is located in Tanjong Pagar. Advantages As more people can be housed in such areas, it frees other pieces of scarce land for other uses. This also enables the reduction of rate whereby the remaining green spaces are developed, saving land for future land uses Maximizing Agricultural land use Irrigation Irrigation is a way used to maximize use of land. Irrigation involves the watering of crops via artificial means such as irrigation pipes channeled from water sources to farms. This allows farmers to grow crops in areas that experience water shortage to ensure their crops receive the right amount of water. 68% of irrigation are found in Asia. Disadvantages The large number of people in a small area will result in a more crowded environment, traffic congestion & higher noise levels. This may also lead to increased stress levels and the reduction in life quality.

Advantages This method ensures a regular supply of water, allowing farmers to grow a greater variety and amounts of crops.. Land previously not suitable for agriculture due to a lack of water are now made available. Computerised irrigation systems can water plants automatically & efficient, reducing labour needs.

Disadvantages However, if this is not properly maintained, it can be breeding sites for bacteria, mosquitoes Maintaining & Building such systems are also of high costs. Especially when a dam is built across a waterway to create a reservoir Land may become waterlogged and damage crops should there be poor drainage present. River used for irrigation may contain high amount of mineral salts, damaging crops.

Terracing
Terracing is another way of maximizing land use. Terracing involve the creating flat strips of land made via cutting of hill steps from slopes. This prevents water from running off so quickly and cause a lack of water. This hence enables hilly slopes to be made available for cultivation of crops. Low walls, bunds made are to be built at the end of every step to slow down the runoff. Advantages This method is also inexpensive as the strips of flat land used can enable modern machinery to be used thus, saving on labour. Inexpensive to make Bunds help prevent soil erosion by preventing soil from being washed away. However, although being inexpensive, in requires a lot of time and energy. Disadvantages Maintaining terraces are also a challenge as if bunds are damaged, soil may be washed off, causing soil erosion.

Soil-less farming
Soil-less farming is also another way whereby land use is maximized. This involves crops growing close together hence, enabling them to get placed in optimum conditions. This can be done through hydroponic or aeroponics. Advantages It also is effective in increasing outputs of crops, since, they are in controlled conditions, preventing growth of weeds and insects. Crops grown by such allow crops to be grown close to each other maximizing landuse. However, this methods involves a high capital as equipment needed are of high cost, 30 million was the cost of starting Singapores first aeroponics farm. It is also not feasible in countries where farmers do not receive adequate training to operate high technology equipment. Yet, it often still cannot feed people adequately as the number of such farms and land area are too small