Urban Presentation Urban Planning and Waste Management Hong

Urban Presentation Urban Planning and Waste Management Hong Kong Cyrus Souaid September 22, 2014 Environmental Studies (CGR 4 M)

Introduction Ø Hong Kong is located in the Southern Coast of China. Ø In July 1997, Britain ended 156 years of colonial governance in Hong Kong by transferring it to the People’s Republic of China. Ø It is now an autonomous Special Administrative Region of China. Ø It has a land mass of 1, 104 km 2 and a population of over 7 million (7, 234, 800 in 2014) Ø Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world with small land area where 70% of its square kilometres is mountains and cannot have buildings. 2

Urban Planning Ø The purpose of urban planning in Hong Kong is to: o shape the quality of living and working space o facilitate sustainable economic development o promote the health, safety and welfare of the community o guide use and control development of land o design the urban environment, including transportation and communication networks o protection and enhancement of the natural environment 3

Transportation Ø As it faced major problems of its transportation system, like huge traffic volumes, Hong Kong has put in place transport infrastructure facilities since the 1990 s. They include: o An international airport in the outskirts of the city o A multi-model railway station and motorway (Mass Transit Railway) to establish easy and quick connections between the airport and the city centre o A bridge to facilitate the flow of traffic in the limited land space of the city o A rapid public transport system, subway, similar to other modern cities, such as Tokyo, Paris o The next phase in the development of the city's rail system will be completed in 2016 to connect Hong Kong to the Special Economic Zone of Shenzhen and to Guangdong province 4

Energy Use Ø Hong Kong is a heavy energy user for economic growth and individual consumption (heating, cooking, driving) Ø It has no energy resources and relies mainly on imports In 2009, coal dominated the fuel mix for power generation in Hong Kong (54%), followed by natural gas (23%) and nuclear power imported from the Mainland (23%) Ø Renewable energy, mostly solar and wind, is getting more importance in Hong Kong in the last decade Ø 5

Waste Management Ø Hong Kong has high waste rate with limited land capacity to absorb it. As an industrialized centre, it generates different types of waste: o Municipal solid waste – all waste from houses, factories and businesses. o Food waste – as an important part of the municipal solid waste, it is produced from food production, processing, preparation of retail and wholesale food, and leftover and expired foods. It contains lots of dirt and causes hygiene problems. o Construction waste – is from construction, renovation, demolitions and land excavation. Most of this waste goes to landfills. o Chemical waste – is from chemical substances that are a risk to the environment and public health. o Clinical waste – is from hospitals, laboratories & research facilities. It is a risk to the environment and public health. o Special waste – it includes animal carcases, livestock and radioactive waste. Its disposal is treated very carefully. - 6

Plan for Waste Management A combination of actions: Ø Setting objectives, targets and timelines for waste reduction – Blueprint for sustainable use of resources 2013 -2022 Ø Public education/awareness: waste reduction drives for behaviour change about generation of waste & recycling Ø Encouraging shared responsibility: involving stakeholders (citizens, businesses, industries) in planning and supporting solutions to sustainable use of resources Ø Legislation to put in place and enforce laws and guidelines on waste disposal including its import and export (e. g. Bill on plastic shopping bags and construction waste scheme) Ø Safe management of waste facilities to collect, transfer, treat and dispose of all types of waste to meet international environmental standards Ø Investing in waste management infrastructure with emphasis on green procurement 7

Environmental Protection Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 8