Reclamation Project Frenzy in China

Reclamation¹ projects in some Chinese coastline cities have become shortcuts² to develop local economies. With lower costs, local governments usually encourage real estate developers to reclaim³ land from the sea, but at the same time, such model has also triggered serious ecological⁴ concerns.

Let's take a closer look with our reporter Liu Min.

 
Along one coastal⁵ road in Yantai, huge, catchy⁶, commercial real estate billboards⁷ read, 'This is the perfect place to make your seaside dream house a reality'.

A sales representative at a sea-view apartment sales-center based in Yantai City, Shandong Province says there are many customers recently coming to consult buying such real estate.

"This new community is located between beaches, facing the sea. The price ranges from 5000 yuan to 8000 yuan per square meter. The property ownership period is 70 years."

At the same time, trucks with loads of stones and earth are shuttling non-stop to the seaside. In a few years, an artificial island will be built on this piece of land in Yantai. The sea will disappear both in front of our eyes and on the map.

Deputy Director of Yan Tai Longkou Land and Resources Bureau Han Maozhi says reclamation projects which fill the sea with land are now being more frequently adopted by coastal cities to ease land resource pressure.

"The Longkou area lacks sufficient resources for future development. We only have 50 thousand Mu of land to explore every year. So, we don't have enough land to develop the necessary infrastructure⁸ and public facilities, including building roads and schools, not to mention land for industrial purposes."

Due to limited land resources, reclamation has become a major way to increase land usage in this kind of coastal cities. Plus, the reclamation projects don't use up the limited quota⁹ of industrial and agricultural land resources. Also, they can dodge¹⁰ the more difficult problems of resident relocation.

Professor Liu Hongbin from the Ocean University of China says by filling up the sea with earth, local governments and companies can make huge profits.

"The cost of reclamation varies based on the location of different areas along the coast, ranging from less than 10 thousand yuan to 300 thousand yuan per Mu. But after the reclamation project finishes and the local government auctions¹¹ the land, the profit margin¹² could reach as high as tenfold or even a hundred-fold."

According to the statistics from the State Oceanic Administration, by 2010, the reclamation area in China had reached 13.6 hectares in total. Provinces like Shandong, Liaoning and Hainan are among the most enthusiastic to adopt reclamation as their major land development strategy.

But according to related law, the local government needs to report to the State Council for approval on reclamation projects covering an area of more than 50 hectares, or an enclosing tideland of more than 100 hectares. However, many cities have been violating the law. The only thing that has been done to rectify¹³ is to impose monetary¹⁴ fines. Professor Liu Hongbin says that if such situations continue, it would do great damage to the country's limited coastline resources.

"Large reclamation project needs to present feasibility study with contrasting opinions provided by two different teams of professionals. The local government should make a final decision based on that."

According to marine¹⁵ experts, excessive development will unavoidably bring an increasing amount of pollutant¹⁶ into the sea; unreasonable¹⁷ reclamation may also damage marine products, as well as affecting flood control and shipping¹⁸.

For CRI, I'm Liu Min.

1 reclamation   

n.开垦；改造；（废料等的）回收

参考例句：

• We should encourage reclamation and recycling.我们应当鼓励废物的回收和利用。
• The area is needed for a land reclamation project.一个土地开垦项目要在这一地区进行。

2 shortcuts   

n.捷径( shortcut的名词复数 )；近路；快捷办法；被切短的东西（尤指烟草）

参考例句：

• In other words, experts want shortcuts to everything. 换句话说，专家需要所有的快捷方式。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Offer shortcuts from the Help menu. 在帮助菜单中提供快捷方式。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

3 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

4 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

5 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

6 catchy   

adj.易记住的，诡诈的，易使人上当的

参考例句：

• We need a new slogan.The old one's not catchy enough.我们需要新的口号，旧的不够吸引人。
• The chorus is very catchy to say the least.副歌部分很容易上口。

7 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

10 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

11 auctions   

n.拍卖，拍卖方式( auction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They picked up most of the furniture at auctions in country towns. 他们大部分的家具都是在乡村镇上的拍卖处买的。 来自辞典例句
• Our dealers didn't want these cars, so we had to dump them at auctions. 我们的承销商都不要这些车子，因此我们只好贱价拍卖。 来自辞典例句

12 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

13 rectify   

v.订正，矫正，改正

参考例句：

• The matter will rectify itself in a few days.那件事过几天就会变好。
• You can rectify this fault if you insert a slash.插人一条斜线便可以纠正此错误。

14 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

15 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

16 pollutant   

n.污染物质，散布污染物质者

参考例句：

• Coal itself is a heavy pollutant.煤本身就是一种严重的污染物。
• Carbon dioxide may not be a typical air pollutant.二氧化碳可能不是一种典型的污染物。

17 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

18 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。