Development that is environmentally
responsible will provide a sound foundation upon which the people
of Hong Kong can seek to sustain a better quality of life, now and
in the future. The Government and stakeholders in the community are
taking determined action on many fronts to consolidate and build
upon the achievements of the environmental protection framework already
well established. For its part, the Government will continue to implement
effective programmes and adopt forward-looking policies across the
broad spectrum of environmental protection: from improving air and
water
quality to nature conservation, waste reduction and recycling.
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HONG KONG'S 1 102 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 214 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 July 1, 2002, a new policy bureau, the Environment,
Transport and Works Bureau, was established and it will continue the
momentum of this programme. |