SECTION 4 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES CAPITAL STOCK
4.4 Sustainability Appraisal for Terrestrial and Marine Habitats and Species
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| 4.4.1.1 |
Although it is clear that much of Hong Kong's ecological resources natural capital stock has been degraded in the past few decades, (eg mangrove, see Paragraph 4.2.1.320) recent studies (eg HKU Biodiversity Survey and SUSDEV 21 Habitat Mapping Baseline Survey) indicate that a considerable range of biodiversity remains intact. As described in Section 4.1, ecological resources serve a number of important functions, and though potentially valued at different levels by different individuals, they are integrally related to the sustainability issues of land use, freshwater resources and assimilative capacity. They also support and augment the scientific, existence, landscape and recreational values of Hong Kong's resources. Key issues for sustainable development of terrestrial and marine habitats and species are presented in Figure 4.4a and Figure 4.4b respectively. |
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| 4.4.1.2 |
Assessment of the sustainability of ecological resources in Hong Kong must address two issues:
- are existing resources being preserved and maintained? and
- are existing resources adequate to support the other natural capital stock values underpinning sustainability?
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| 4.4.1.3 |
In order to address the first question, it is necessary to critically examine the functioning of the existing system of ecological resource protection. The current system for statutory protection of ecological resources is composed of:
- protection of habitats through Ramsar, Country Park, Special Area and/or Restricted Area designations; and
- protection of individual species through the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, the Marine Parks Ordinance, the Country Parks Ordinance, or the Forestry Regulations of the Forests and Countryside Ordinance.
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| 4.4.1.4 |
Whilst Country Parks, Special Areas and Restricted Areas are undoubtedly useful in protecting large areas of natural land and important habitats in Hong Kong, they often encompass land which is largely undevelopable anyway. In addition, because of the predominance of higher altitude land in Country Parks, outside of the Sai Kung and Plover Cove peninsula areas a limited number of coastal and lowland areas are included. The Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site conserves a substantial portion of Hong Kong's remaining valuable lowland areas, including wetlands, mangroves, fishponds/gei wais and intertidal mudflats. Similarly, the relatively recent Marine Parks system remedies the lack of protection for coastal and marine areas by providing for, at present, three Marine Parks and one Marine Reserve covering slightly over 1% of the marine area of Hong Kong. |
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| 4.4.1.5 |
However, other areas containing natural watercourses and wetlands, such as Sha Lo Tung, which is of international importance as a dragonfly habitat, and coastal areas, such as Tai Long Wan, one of Hong Kong's most pristine beaches and hard coral communities, are not wholly encompassed by either the Country Park, Marine Park, Special Area, Restricted Area or Ramsar site protection schemes. Other designations, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Wetland Conservation Area and Wetland Buffer Area, or Conservation Areas are potential protection instruments, but outside of areas covered by statutory plans, the protection afforded is only of an administrative nature (also see Paragraph 3.2.2.6 - Land Use and Land Supply). Furthermore, while such designations will help in protecting these areas from development, habitats and species contained within these areas may not be guaranteed effective protection since development applications can still be considered, and it should be noted that the statutory plans under which such designations are made (DPAs and OZPs) do not cover the whole of Hong Kong. |
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