AUTHOR=Lu Jingfang , Zhang Yibo , Shi Honghua , Lv Xianqing 

TITLE=Spatio-temporal changes and driving forces of reclamation based on remote sensing: A case study of the Guangxi Beibu Gulf

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1112487

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2023.1112487

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Since 2000, coastal reclamation projects have been implemented in Guangxi Beibu Gulf to alleviate the shortage of coastal land resources with economic growth and rapid urban sprawl. As a result, the reclamation area have increased significantly. In this study, based on the Landsat product, we track the coastal reclamation expansion in coastal waters of the Guangxi in the 21st century. Socio-economic data (i.e., population density, GDP, mariculture production, and cargo throughput) are combined with the cumulative reclamation area to investigate the driver forces of reclamation via the linear regressions and path analysis model. Our results showed that 98.6 km2 coastal waters of Guangxi Beibu Gulf have been reclaimed through ponds and harbors from 1997 to 2017, and the trend increased sharply after 2006, with an average of 10.8 km2 per year over 2006-2010. Additionally, the GDP of primary industry and the population growth rate all show a positive influence relationship with the cumulative reclamation area. These results will provide an important historical reference for tracking future development of Guangxi by human.