ENG-1963 — Page 53

REVIEW

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season during the winter months-four fifths of the average annual rainfall falls in the five months from May to September-and this has led to the construction of large impounding reservoirs with ex- tensive catchment areas. The need in recent years to conserve fresh water supplies has also resulted in a wide use of salt water for sanitary and air-conditioning purposes and such supplies are be- coming increasingly important.

A growing population and the needs of industry have led to a particularly rapid expansion of both demand and supply in the last 10 years as the following figures indicate:

Population in supply area

24 hour winter demand

Storage capacity

Reservoir & Catchment area

1952

2 millions

41 million gallons 6,000 million gallons 13,650 acres

* Including Shek Pik completed 1963.

1962

3 millions

104 million gallons 15,983* million gallons 31,750* acres

When Plover Cove is completed in 1968-9, storage capacity will be increased by a further 30,000 million gallons, yielding an aver- age of 65 million gallons a day.

The continuing search for more land for development means a complementary need for an extension of the water supply distribu- tion system. In 1946 the supply area, including filtered and un- filtered water, was 8,650 acres, while today it is 12,540 acres, an increase of 3,890 acres or 45 per cent in 15 years, thus keeping pace with the expansion of the built-up areas. So far there has been little conflict between the land required for development and that set aside for water catchments. Most of the catchments are in hilly land unsuitable for or remote from development, but it has been customary for many years to allow a degree of building in catchment areas and as these areas increase the possibility of extending this practice grows in importance.

LAND USE: DIVERSITY AND INTENSITY

In 1841 the Island of Hong Kong was not only ‘a barren island with hardly a house upon it' but also largely a bare rock with few trees or other growth. Afforestation, largely on health grounds but also for shade and amenity, received early attention but much of the work was undone by the destruction of trees between 1941