ENG-2001 — Page 349

THE ENVIRONMENT

environmental impact and planning studies. It promotes public awareness of nature conservation.

The Planning Department plans future land use and controls developments throughout Hong Kong. The Drainage Services Department, assisted by the Territory Development Department, designs, builds, operates and maintains sewerage and sewage treatment facilities. The Civil Engineering Department provides outlets for the re-use of inert construction and demolition material. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department promotes energy efficiency and conservation. The Marine Department clears floating refuse and oil in the sea and enforces the law on oil pollution. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department collects refuse and maintains environmental hygiene.

Government spending on the environment in 2001-02 was budgeted at $6.6 billion, or about 2.3 per cent of total public expenditure.

Environmental Challenges

Hong Kong's older urban areas present considerable environmental challenges. These areas, partly being redeveloped, consist of dense housing mixed with commerce and industry and an infrastructure that falls short of modern standards and rising public expectations. Factors such as scarce habitable land, concentrated transport networks, immense housing demand and a lack of environmental concern in the past mean noise from road and rail traffic remains a major problem despite improvement and control measures. Construction noise is also a concern for residents living near development sites.

Unplanned discharges from livestock farming, industrial, commercial and domestic sources had once been a serious threat to the environment. These are now kept under control through enforcement and implementation of various environmental programmes since the late 1980s. The pollution load to major rivers has been significantly reduced, by about 90 per cent. However, owing to the low base flow rate of these rivers and the remaining pollution load, further improvement work is still necessary.

The Government's pollution control strategy aims not to compromise industry and commerce, but work in partnership with the private sector firms in ensuring environmental compliance so that all may benefit from a better environment. Direct economic benefits can often be gained from activities such as recycling and the adoption of environmentally friendly technology. These methods are better than pollution control techniques that have to apply after a waste material has become a potential pollutant.

The Government encourages industry and commerce to recognise the benefits of waste minimisation and pollution prevention and to work to achieve these with their own initiatives. Statutory control guidelines are also provided with well-defined standards to ensure compliance.

Planning Against Pollution

The past decade has seen many achievements in Hong Kong's efforts to pre-empt environmental problems through the application of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) process to policy, planning and project proposals. Development and policy proposals submitted to the Executive Council which involve

285