Exploring New Productive Landscapes

Abstract

The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is a the watershed consisting Xi (west), Bei (north) and Dong (east) rivers located in the Guangdong Province in the South-West region of China. Much of the PRD area lies between 0-20m above sea level and the rivers from the mainland feed the delta with 340 billion cubic meters of rainwater yearly (Weng, 2007). Water and sedimentation from the rivers up north and on the west side are constantly moving through this low-lying region, making the soil fertile and suitable for agriculture. This fertile low laying area is also home to one of the
most densely urbanized regions in the world (Weng, 2007). Apart from agriculture, this region has also seen multiple cycle of different types of production subjugated upon their land. In past decades, with the rise of consumerism and globalization, parcels of rural land were transformed into factories manufacturing goods which brought about rapid rural industrialization and urbanization throughout the region. This industrialization of the PRD resulted to as much as 60% of new urban land cover being converted from previously non build-up areas such as agriculture land and forested areas in industrial cities like
Foshan within 1988 -2003 (Hao, 2008). The change in landcover placed pressure to the drainage and capability water retention in the area which resulted in deadly flooding. Apart from rapid land cover change and massive urbanisation, industrialisation also usually bring about forms of pollution. Water plays an integral role during the manufacturing process and also as its byproduct resulting to most of the waterways in the PRD to be heavily polluted and toxic for the environment and people living around it. The environment, unfortunately took most of the direct impact of the rapid industrialisation and urbanisation. As cities in China began to prosper in the last two decades, the manufacturing economy started to focus more onto technology and innovation. In 2019, the PRD was rebranded to The Greater Bay Area (GBA), where economic development plans were lay out for market integration and advance development among the cities
in the region. One of the impact of this new development plan is that most cities area have to shift to a higher skill labour and hightech advancement in their manufacturing industry. The shift from traditionally intensive production to advance and high-tech manufacturing will create changes in many different aspect ranging from the labour market to infrastructure. The streamlining of production due to the technological advancement implemented by businesses will result in the reduction of factory operation and labour size thus leaving cities
with decommissioned industrial areas. Nevertheless, the transitioning period
allows for the opportunity for transformation these scarred land sustainably, to one that remediate using landscape based solution and regenerates the area into a safe area redevelopment for the benefit of the ever changing community, environment and economy. Delta regions are characteristically dynamic, it changes in space and time, so must the solution. So how do we appropriate
decommissioned industrial areas located along waterways to mitigate the impacts
of urban flooding and water pollution while also redefining the relationship and interaction of the inhabitants working and living nearby with water using landscape based solution?