Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta : strategies for the cross-border management of water resources

Abstract

Internationally, analysts have increased their technical sophistication and geographical scope of water issues and water-management policies. They have determined the impacts of water quality and demand upon ecological systems, and they have framed policies for the management of watersheds. I examine a subset of these issues in relation to the Hong Kong-Guangdong region as part of a Hong-Kong/Pearl River Delta studio in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. The study site is a basin, and, as such, it is comprised of a number of catchments. The water sources are mainly in the Guangdong region, while the water demand is spread across the region. This leads to an imbalance in water supply and demand and to the need for a cross-agency, cross-border integrated approach, with joint consideration by all governmental units of environmental, land-use, and water issues. I focus on three important issues: (1) governance of water allocation, (2) environmental pollution, and (3) cross-border management. I make the following two key recommendations for coordinated action: * Hong Kong should consider providing funding for investments in wastewater treatment in the Pearl River Delta. Hong Kong has invested substantially in its own wastewater treatment systems. Well-structured expenditure on wastewater treatment in the Pearl River Delta will have a much greater impact on water quality than a similar level of expenditure aimed at further improving Hong Kong's extensive system of wastewater treatment. " To solve the complex environmental problems, the Hong Kong government should consider cooperating with local governments in the Pearl River Delta, and not just the provincial government. As a first step to improving the effectiveness of the Environmental Protection Liaison Group, local environmental bureaus should be represented.