Territorial spatial suitability assessment and optimization of coastal port reclamation in China

Port reclamation is an important approach to acquiring the land resources needed to develop the coastal economy and international trade. This research conducted an integrated assessment of territorial spatial suitability for port reclamation, which considered both the resource and environmental carrying capacity and ecological protection restrictive factor. The results show that the port reclamation area in China is 995.85 km(2), accounting for 13.50% of the total reclamation area from 2000 to 2020, and the main reclamation area is located in the Bohai Sea and the coastal area of Jiangsu Province. The reclamation area in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea from 2000 to 2020 is 523.30, 208.95, 190.18, 73.42 km(2). The resource and environmental carrying capacity of land and sea areas around ports have different characteristics. The resource and environmental carrying capacity of national coastal ports show a general characteristic of decreasing from land to sea, but in localized areas controlled by ecologically sensitive factors such as nature reserves, the nearshore resource and environmental carrying capacity is also lower. The territorial spatial suitability of coastal port planning was evaluated, and it was found that the suitability of port reclamation in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Guangdong was higher. Based on the results of this study, the sustainable development model of port reclamation, ecological restoration of port reclamation areas, and spatial planning policy recommendations are proposed.