Executive Summary of Environmental Baseline Report
SECTION 3 NATURAL RESOURCES CAPITAL STOCK
| 3.3 |
FRESHWATER RESOURCES |
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| 3.3.2 |
Sustainability Appraisal |
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Despite the protection of extensive areas of Hong Kong's land areas as water catchments and reservoirs, local sources only supply approximately one quarter of the total freshwater demand. Nevertheless this water resource and water infrastructure play an important role in maintaining a degree of self sufficiency for Hong Kong. Reliance on internal water resources is particularly important in maintaining Hong Kong's security of supply during the annual shutdown of the Mainland supply system for maintenance every December. Hong Kong sources could become even more important in the event of droughts when Mainland supplies are reduced.
The existing regulatory system of protection for Hong Kong's water gathering grounds is sound, and in conjunction with recent initiatives to improve yields from catchment areas, should maintain local supplies at their current level (assuming normal rainfall patterns). Sources in the Mainland are arguably not as strongly protected, and may require more funding than the portion of water revenues the Guangdong government is currently investing. The importance of regional co-operation through bodies such as the recently announced Joint Working Group on Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection will be particularly advantageous on this issue.
A variety of measures are available to maximise the potential of both locally-derived and Mainland-derived freshwater sources. Means of upgrading the efficiency of freshwater delivery to that achieved in other countries such as Japan should be pursued and targets set to reduce losses over a 5-10 year period. WSD's watermain replacement project will provide further assurance that supplies are being used efficiently. Alternatives to freshwater should also be implemented wherever practical: in addition to the seawater flushing supply discussed above, industrial "greywater" re-use and other water recycling opportunities should be incentivised. Demand for freshwater can be minimised by public education on the importance of conservation. Developing and implementing a government policy on water conservation could spearhead a public awareness and education campaign. These efforts would serve not only to reduce pressure on freshwater resources, but also decrease the quantity of wastewater generated and treated bringing environmental and economic benefits.
The freshwater demands of Hong Kong already exceed the capacity of internal production sources. While this has been the case for several decades, this should not encourage complacency. Development and pollution impacts threaten the Mainland supply of freshwater, and competition from other cities within Guangdong may be a significant issue in the negotiation of the next water supply agreement. Therefore, while some of the key issues in maintaining a secure supply of freshwater lie outside of Hong Kong's direct control, resources should be directed toward maintaining Hong Kong's own sources, improving efficiency of delivery, reducing demand through education and policy, and assisting the Mainland with water resources management through joint liaison groups and other bodies. |
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