Resources and Sustainability | DSE

• Water resource management: The planning, development, and control of water supply and use to ensure adequate, reliable, and sustainable water availability for human needs and ecosystems.
• Dongjiang water: Fresh water supplied from the Dongjiang (East River) in Guangdong Province, mainland China, to Hong Kong under a bilateral agreement dating from 1960.
• Country Park: A protected area designated under the Country Parks Ordinance (Cap. 208) in Hong Kong, covering mountainous terrain and providing recreation, conservation, and water catchment functions.
• Land premium: Revenue collected by the Hong Kong government from the sale or lease of land, representing a major source of government income.
• Land reclamation: The process of creating new land from the sea, riverbed, or other water bodies by filling or draining.
• Sustainability: Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland definition, 1987).

Hong Kong faces significant water supply constraints:

• Limited natural freshwater: Hong Kong has few rivers and lakes. Rainfall is seasonal, with approximately 80% falling between May and September, while the dry season (October to March) receives minimal precipitation.
• High demand: A population of over 7.4 million people, combined with industrial and commercial activity, produces daily water demand exceeding 2.7 million m$^3$.
• Storage limitations: Mountainous terrain restricts the area available for reservoir construction.

Hong Kong operates 17 reservoirs with a combined capacity of approximately 586 million m$^3$. The major reservoirs include:

• Plover Cove Reservoir: Completed in 1968, created by damming a coastal inlet and pumping out salt water. At the time, it was the largest reservoir in Hong Kong.
• High Island Reservoir: Completed in 1978, also created from a former coastal inlet. Located in the Sai Kung area, it is the largest reservoir by capacity.
• Tai Lam Chung Reservoir: One of the earliest major reservoirs, completed in 1957.

The Water Supplies Department operates catchwater systems that channel rainwater from hillsides into reservoirs. Despite these infrastructure investments, Hong Kong can only meet approximately 20-30% of its annual water demand from local sources.

The Dongjiang-Shenzhen water supply scheme has been Hong Kong’s primary water source since 1960. Fresh water is pumped from the Dongjiang River in Guangdong Province through a network of treatment plants and pipelines to Hong Kong.

Key features:

• Agreement basis: A 1960 agreement between the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments, renewed and revised multiple times. The most recent agreement (2024) extends supply through 2034.
• Volume: Annual supply of approximately 820 million m$^3$ (with adjustments based on demand and availability). This represents approximately 70-80% of Hong Kong’s total water consumption.
• Treatment: Water is treated at the Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply Project Treatment Works before delivery, with additional treatment at Hong Kong’s reception works.
• Price: The price of Dongjiang water is periodically renegotiated and has historically been influenced by political as well as economic factors.

Hong Kong has implemented several water conservation measures:

The tiered water tariff ranges from approximately HKD 4.16 per m$^3$ for the first 12 m$^3$ per four months to HKD 9.05 per m$^3$ for consumption exceeding 31 m$^3$. Leak reduction efforts address distribution losses historically exceeding 20% of total supply. A reverse osmosis desalination plant at Tseung Kwan O (135,000 m$^3$ per day capacity) was commissioned in 2023. Recycled water use for non-potable purposes remains less extensively developed than in comparison cities such as Singapore.

Hong Kong’s primary energy sources for electricity generation include:

• Natural gas: Accounts for approximately 40-45% of electricity generation. Supplied as LNG (liquefied natural gas), imported and regasified at the Black Point and Castle Peak power stations.
• Coal: Historically dominant but declining, now providing approximately 15-20% of electricity. Being phased out under the government’s climate action plan.
• Nuclear: Imported electricity from the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province supplies approximately 25-30% of Hong Kong’s electricity.
• Renewables: A small but growing share, including solar, wind, and waste-to-energy facilities.

The Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, located approximately 50 km northeast of Hong Kong in Guangdong Province, began commercial operation in 1994. It was China’s first commercial nuclear power station, using French-designed pressurised water reactors (PWRs).

Key features:

• Capacity: Two units with a combined capacity of approximately 1,800 MW.
• Ownership: China General Nuclear Power Group (51%), CLP Power Hong Kong (25%), and formerly Électricité de France.
• Supply to Hong Kong: CLP Power purchases electricity for distribution in Kowloon and the New Territories.
• Safety concerns: Proximity to Hong Kong and Shenzhen raises public concern about nuclear safety.

Hong Kong imports LNG to fuel its power stations, with an LNG receiving terminal at Black Point providing flexibility in sourcing beyond pipeline-delivered natural gas from mainland China.

The Hong Kong government has committed to achieving carbon neutrality before 2050, phasing out coal-fired generation, increasing renewable and clean energy, and improving energy efficiency. These targets align with the Paris Agreement.

Hong Kong’s Country Parks system covers approximately 40% of the territory’s total land area, encompassing 24 country parks and 22 special areas. The system is administered under the Country Parks Ordinance (Cap. 208).

Functions of Country Parks:

1. Conservation: Protecting natural habitats, biodiversity, and landscapes. Hong Kong supports over 3,300 species of vascular plants, 240 butterfly species, and 550 bird species, many within country park boundaries.
2. Recreation: Providing hiking trails (the 100 km MacLehose Trail, Hong Kong Trail), camping sites, and nature interpretation facilities.
3. Water catchment: Many reservoirs are located within country parks, with the surrounding vegetation protecting water quality.
4. Education: Nature centres and visitor centres provide environmental education programmes.

The Country Parks face pressures from development encroachment, illegal dumping, overuse of popular trails, and invasive species affecting native ecosystems.

Hong Kong’s government revenue model has historically been heavily dependent on land premium income. Under the colonial leasehold system, all land belongs to the government, which grants leases to private users. Revenue is generated through:

• Land sales: Government land is sold by public auction or tender to the highest bidder.
• Lease modifications: Premium is charged when existing leases are modified to permit higher density or changed land use.
• Short-term waivers: Fees for temporary use of government land.

Land premium can account for 10-30% of government revenue in strong property markets, creating fiscal vulnerability during market downturns and conflicts of interest regarding housing affordability.

Land reclamation has been a major strategy for expanding Hong Kong’s developable land area, with approximately 70 km$^2$ reclaimed since the mid-nineteenth century (roughly 6% of total land area). Notable projects include Chek Lap Kok (Hong Kong International Airport, approximately 12 km$^2$), the West Kowloon Cultural District (approximately 40 hectares), and the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals.

Reclamation controversies centre on environmental impact (destruction of marine habitats including the Mai Po Marshes Ramsar site), escalating costs as easy sites are exhausted, and Section 120 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, which requires the government to protect Victoria Harbour’s natural environment, effectively limiting further reclamation.

The government’s 2018 Lantau Tomorrow Vision proposed creating artificial islands near Kau Yi Chau for housing development, but the project has faced significant public opposition on environmental and cost grounds.

Hong Kong’s sustainable development challenges include transitioning from fossil fuels to cleaner energy while maintaining grid reliability, diversifying water supply sources and reducing per capita consumption, balancing housing needs with environmental protection, and managing waste (approximately 11,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily with a recycling rate below 30%) within limited landfill capacity. The government’s Sustainable Development Council has adopted indicators across economic, social, and environmental dimensions, though critics argue progress has been limited by the dominance of economic growth objectives.

flowchart TD
    A[Resources] --> B[Key Concepts]
    A --> C[Core Principles]
    A --> D[Practical Applications]
    B --> E[Fundamental definitions]
    C --> F[Design patterns]
    D --> G[Real-world usage]

Resources are not just things in the ground — they are relationships between nature, technology, and human need. A mineral is not a resource until someone figures out how to extract it and someone else wants to buy it. South China’s development was fuelled by resources that were extracted, processed, and consumed in a global chain. Sustainability is the art of using resources without consuming the future — like eating the interest without touching the principal. The tension is real: developing nations need resources to grow, but over-extraction degrades the environment that supports everyone.

1. Quantify everything: Use specific figures for water supply volumes, reservoir capacities, energy percentages, and country park areas. Examiners reward precision.

2. Present balanced arguments: For reclamation and land premium topics, discuss both sides. Reclamation provides developable land but destroys marine ecosystems. Land premium funds public services but contributes to housing unaffordability.

3. Link resource management to population: Connect water demand to population size and growth. Connect land supply to housing demand. Connect energy demand to economic structure and living standards.

4. Evaluate policy effectiveness: When discussing water conservation or energy transition, assess whether targets are being met, what barriers exist, and what additional measures could be taken.

5. Use case studies: Reference specific projects (Tseung Kwan O desalination plant, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, Plover Cove Reservoir) with dates, capacities, and outcomes.

6. Consider trade-offs: Resource management inherently involves trade-offs. Acknowledge that meeting one objective (e.g., housing supply) may conflict with another (e.g., environmental conservation). The examiner expects nuanced analysis.

Confusing water supply with water self-sufficiency: Hong Kong can only meet 20-30% of water demand locally, but it’s water secure because of Dongjiang supply. Don’t assume dependence on imports equals insecurity.

Assuming Country Parks are only for conservation: They also provide recreation, water catchment, and education functions. Don’t describe them as purely environmental protection areas.

Mixing up land premium with rates: Land premium is from selling/leasing land. Rates are annual property taxes. They’re different revenue sources with different economic implications.

• Population: Population studies are central
• Urbanization: Urbanisation is a key topic
• Climate: Climate affects geography