In addition to development and disturbance pressures, pollution pressures either in the form of toxic contaminants or solid waste dumping, also act upon the existing land use and land supply capital stock. Although there is the potential for remediation of these sites, given the costs and time involved, it is clear that pollution has devalued the stock of these land resources. Over 4,000 terrestrial sites have been identified as 'black spots' by Lands Department's Black Spot Task Force. These sites form an inventory of non-conforming land uses, locations of public health concern and illegal dumping sites. A total of 18 site classifications are used in the database of blackspots which may be summarised as follows:

• container vehicle parking and repairing; container depots and yards;
• construction materials, equipment and machinery;
• vehicle storage, car dumps, vehicle repair workshops and vehicle parts;
• timber and logs, ceramic/pottery products, paper, other rubbish;
• tanks and cans and scrap metal; and
• other uses and vacant sites.

Whilst many of the blackspots are located in urban areas and follow patterns of built development, there are also rural sites including illegal uses such as container storage yards. EPD has published guidelines for the investigation and remediation of three types of site where former land uses involving petrol filling stations, boatyards and vehicle repair/dismantling workshops may have given rise to land contamination (EPD 1999a). While this programme is driven by the need to liberate land for development, remediation of such areas undoubtedly will benefit the environmental health and safety conditions and amenity value of the area.

In addition to identified black spot areas, littering and illegal disposal of refuse (fly tipping) in Country Parks is also a continuing pressure on land resources. Litter collected within Hong Kong's country parks has remained steady in recent years between 3,600 tonnes in 1991/92 and 3,400 tonnes in 1997/98, whilst visitor numbers have grown during this period from 10.2 million to 10.7 million per year. Although these figures are clearly a function of effort as well as of the mass of waste disposed, regular media reports of the problem of litter indicate that conditions are not improving. Unauthorised waste disposal on both large and small scales in Hong Kong is causing despoilation of the landscape (natural resources capital stock), health risks (assimilative capacity natural stock), and hazards to wildlife (ecological resources capital stock). Litter in the terrestrial and marine environment is discussed in Paragraph 4.3.2.9 and 4.3.3.7 respectively) and waste disposal issues are discussed in Section 3.5 - Solid Waste.

An evaluation of the sustainability of Hong Kong's land resources comprises both the sustainability of land supply and the sustainability of the land uses applied to the current available stock of land (see Figure 3.2e for a summary of issues associated with the land use and land supply capital stock). The natural resources capital stock provided by the availability and characteristics of Hong Kong's land resources include a diverse range of developed areas, natural and managed habitats and urban open space. These natural resource features not only provide valuable areas for expansion of the human built environment, but also constitute the foundation of many ecological, assimilative capacity, heritage, landscape and recreational values in Hong Kong. When managing land supply and land use it is essential to appreciate the multiple benefits that particular areas, and the land resources as a whole, may embody.

Consideration of land use issues is often dominated by the provision of land for development. Given the growing population of Hong Kong, its demand for development, and the finite land resources suitable for development in the SAR, it is apparent that the demands cannot continue to be sustained at current rates without significant erosion of the natural resources capital stock as a whole. These pressures and conflicts will continue to test the strength of designated protection for land conservation areas. For these reasons, it is essential to value the true worth of protected areas, through scientific research and public education, and to ensure that all critically important areas are adequately protected under the existing planning and policy frameworks. Where land is approved for development it is crucial that on-site and off-site impacts are minimised whenever possible through such means as efficient use of space, provision of environmentally sensitive features and proper attention to works control and monitoring.

Without the above measures it is likely that additional valuable natural resource features will be lost unless alternatives can be found to ease development pressures by substituting other areas for development. Alternatives to development of natural land include reclamation or urban renewal, although neither option is without its drawbacks. Another alternative would involve explicit or tacit diversion of development into the regional hinterland (ie Guangdong Province). However, this option would likely have important implications for Hong Kong's economy and society and would require close liaison with the Mainland's authorities. These issues will be addressed by the next Territorial Development Strategy, the review of which will begin shortly.

In summary, as it is not possible to sustain the stock of land supply in Hong Kong indefinitely, alternatives to continued development of natural areas in the SAR will ultimately need to be identified. In the meantime, the stock of available land resources can be maximised by environmentally sensitive planning, wise use of existing land resources to promote re-development, and avoidance of uses which permanently damage or degrade lands. Weighing the importance of conserving an area against the benefits of developing it should be based on a holistic valuation of all capital stock functions (ie natural resource, ecological, assimilative capacity and heritage) provided by land resources.