ENG-1993 — Page 442

THE ENVIRONMENT

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decade. The new measures will involve tougher enforcement action against unauthorised land use.

Plans for a $50 million Environment and Conservation Fund for Hong Kong were also announced, to help pay for environmental education and research.

The establishment of marine parks and marine reserves was approved to protect and manage unspoilt areas for conservation, education and recreation. In the first phase, Hoi Ha Wan and Yan Chau Tong in Sai Kung were recommended for designation as marine parks while Cape D'Aguilar on southern Hong Kong Island was proposed for designation as a marine reserve. The relevant legislation is expected to be ready in 1994.

The Environmental Protection Department set up three more local control offices during the year, bringing to five the total number of such offices. These offices deal with local issues, promptly responding to complaints from local residents and keeping potential pollution blackspots under closer supervision than was possible with centralised control.

The government is reviewing the implications, for its environmental and related policies, of recommendations which arose from the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

This chapter also looks at Hong Kong's climate, topography, hydrography, and fauna and flora.

The State of the Environment

-A 1989 White Paper entitled 'Pollution in Hong Kong - A Time to Act' acknowledged that the reason the environment was in an unsatisfactory state was largely a result of the earlier lack of emphasis placed on this area by the government.

A series of measures has been introduced over the years to ensure that greater emphasis is given to environmental matters in planning decisions.

In December, the government issued 'A Green Challenge for the Community', which was its second review of the 1989 White Paper.

Aside from stressing the need for public awareness and participation to improve the environment, the document examined the progress of the government's environmental protection programme, set down the basis for future action and explained new initiatives for improving the performance of the government and the community.

For the first time, 10 foundation stones were set down to assist the development of collective responsibility, including sustaining the environment for future generations, private sector participation and the adoption of the 'polluter pays' principle.

The government also proposed eight sets of regulations for 1994 - to ban open burning, control construction dust, control percussive piling and other construction noise, control the management of asbestos, control vehicle emissions, introduce sewage charges, introduce charges for some categories of solid waste disposals at landfills, and introduce charges for the disposal of chemical waste.

Urban Environmental Quality

The government has committed a great deal of money and effort to meeting the challenges of Hong Kong's older urban areas. These offer a dense mix of housing, community facilities, and commerce and industry with an infrastructure that falls short of modern standards. Poor urban landscaping, incompatible neighbouring uses, air and water pollution, noise, and waste disposal problems are common.