'''Land reclamation''' is the idea of getting new [[land]]. It is usually done in [[coast]]al areas. Sometimes it is also done in areas like [[river]]s and [[lake]]s. Usually, there is a natural process which fills such areas with [[sand]], [[dirt]] and other materials. Land reclamation uses the same process, which is sped up. In many cases, this is done using [[Levee|dikes]]. An example where land reclamation is done is the [[:en:IJsselmeer|IJsselmeer]] in the [[Netherlands]].
Pioneer plants, such as [[Salicornia]] or [[:en:Ammophila_(plant)|Ammophila]] grow there. When the level of the land is as high as that of the high tide, new [[ditch]]es are dug, and the process can repeat.
Sometimes, it is too time-consuming to wait for the land to rise. In that case, it is possible to pump out the water in the enclosed area. This was done in the Netherlands, where many areas are below sea level. The problem with this approach is that it needs to be repeated, for example in the case of heavy rainfall.
Few examples are Kansai Airport in Osaka, Japan.
The creation of large, [[artificial island]]s, such as [[Palm Islands]] in [[Dubai]] or [[:en:Maasvlakte|Maasvlakte]], which is part of the [[port]] of [[Rotterdam]] is not known as Land reclamation.
