ENG-2001 — Page 348

CHAPTER 16

The Environment

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HONG KONG'S 1 100 square kilometres of land contain 6.7 million people and one of the world's largest trading economies. Steep mountains and strong planning controls have led to most of the population being housed in 184 square kilometres of urban development, while over 400 square kilometres have been protected as country parks or conservation areas. The concentration of population and economic activity in such a small area leads to intense pressures on the environment. This is compounded by the effects, particularly on air quality, from development across the Pearl River Delta region.

In October 1999, the Chief Executive announced a major programme to improve the quality of Hong Kong's environment, covering air pollution control measures, improvement to water quality, reform of waste management, strengthening of conservation, greening of the urban environment and development of regional pollution control mechanisms with Guangdong Province. On January 1, 2000, a new policy bureau, the Environment and Food Bureau, was established to take forward this programme.

Administrative Framework

The Environment and Food Bureau has overall policy responsibility for the environment. It receives professional support from several government departments and advice from the Advisory Council on the Environment, which comprises 23 members appointed by the Chief Executive including representatives of environmental non-government organisations (NGOs) and business groups and appointed members with academic and professional expertise.

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) executes environmental policies and programmes, vets environmental planning and assessment findings, enforces and reviews environmental laws, plans and develops facilities for liquid and solid waste disposal and promotes environmental management, audit and reporting. The EPD also promotes environmental awareness in the community.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is the main agency for nature and wildlife conservation. It manages country parks and special areas, which cover some 40 per cent of Hong Kong's land area, and marine parks and marine reserves, which are designated by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Executive Council for nature conservation, recreation and education purposes. The department also identifies and protects important conservation areas by other means, enforces the law to protect wildlife and plants, and examines ecological aspects of