Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Understand
Pollution in Hong Kong
Air Quality
Hong Kong's most pressing environmental problem is air pollution, responsible for up to 2000 premature deaths a
year. Not surprisingly, it has become a highly charged political and economic issue. Mounting public pressure has
forced the government to take more decisive measures in recent years to control emissions from vehicles and
power plants, the major source of air pollution. Government statistics show that the emission of most air pollut-
ants has gone down, except sulphur dioxide, thanks to increased coal-burning by power plants. That said, many
travellers to Hong Kong might find it hard to breathe in congested areas such as Causeway Bay and Mong Kok.
If you have difficulty breathing on days when the official air pollution index is 'low', know it's not your lungs
that are clouding your judgment, it's the 20-year-old yardstick (
www.epd-asg.gov.hk
)
used by the Hong Kong
government to measure the pollution. For a clearer picture, consult Greenpeace's Real Air Pollution Index
(
www.greenpeace.org/china/en/hk-airpollution-map
)
, which follows the World Health Organization standard.
Waste
Three large landfills in the New Territories absorb all of Hong Kong's daily 16,500 tonnes of municipal waste
(though they will soon be full). As space for building large landfills is limited, the government introduced waste
reduction schemes in 1998, but progress has been slow. Only 40% of household waste is recycled.
Looking Ahead
The future of Hong Kong's environment will depend not only on the city's efforts, but also on whether pollution
in the greater Pearl River Delta region is tamed. The most polluted water in Hong Kong is found in Deep Bay,
which is shared with nearby Shenzhen, and Hong Kong's air quality deteriorates drastically when winds bring
pollution from the north. The governments of Hong Kong and Guangdong are working together to tackle regional
pollution. Though progress has been slow, their success will bring a greener Hong Kong and Pearl River Delta.
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