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The Environment
department has 94 sampling stations in marine waters including enclosed bays and typhoon shelters, and another 82 stations for inland waters. It also monitors 41 bathing beaches.
The water quality monitoring programme provides a comprehensive record of the physiochemical and microbiological condition of Hong Kong waters. Annual reports of monitoring data are available on the EPD's website. Water quality of the major marine and river stations is published monthly on the website and gradings of water quality of bathing beaches are published weekly in the media and updated on the department's website and hotline during the bathing season.
Cross-boundary Co-operation
Since environmental pollution transcends administrative boundaries, Hong Kong works together with Guangdong and the Macao SAR on environmental matters.
The Pearl River Delta (PRD) Regional Air Quality Monitoring Network jointly established by the HKSAR Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government publishes the Regional Air Quality Index (RAQI) daily, and its reports on the monitoring results are released in April and October each year. The results show that there has been a substantial reduction in the average annual concentration of most pollutants in the region in recent years. Amidst continuing growth of the economy in the PRD region, from 2006 to 2012 the average annual concentrations of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and respirable suspended particulates decreased by 62 per cent, 17 per cent and 24 per cent respectively. The number of days on which the RAQI met Class 2 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (applicable to general residential areas) also increased from 68 per cent to 84 per cent over the same period.
Hong Kong and Guangdong are continuing various air pollution abatement measures to achieve the mutually agreed PRD emission reduction targets for 2015 and 2020.
The Cleaner Production Partnership Programme encourages and facilitates Hong Kong-owned factories in the PRD region to adopt cleaner production technologies and practices, so helping improve the region's environmental quality. By the end of 2013, over 2,200 funding applications had been approved since the programme's launch in 2008. In addition, Hong Kong and Guangdong jointly organised the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners. Recognition Scheme to recognise the efforts of enterprises in pursuing cleaner production. As at the end of 2013, 216 enterprises were holding the commendations.
Hong Kong and Shenzhen are jointly taking action to reduce pollution of the adjoining waters, including Deep Bay and Mirs Bay. Both sides have commenced the second review of the joint programmes for Deep Bay to gauge their effectiveness and to draw up necessary additional mitigation measures. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Guangdong are jointly evaluating the pollution load carrying capacity of the Pearl River Estuary to provide a scientific basis for devising a water quality management strategy for the estuary.
Hong Kong and Macao are strengthening exchanges in areas such as regional air quality monitoring network, import and export of waste control, use of cleaner fuel by ocean-going
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