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Problems

by Christine Loh [ Friday 21April 2006 - South China Morning Post ]

Hong Kong's poor air quality is the main topic of conversation in town. Many people want to understand the details so they can assess matters and take action, such as deciding whether to stay or leave.

I am not being alarmist. This is what I hear on a daily basis. The cynical may ask whether the local population cares enough. I say emphatically we care a great deal.

Survey results from a variety of sources show air pollution is a key concern for local citizens. Even surveys which do not focus on air pollution are highlighting this problem.

For instance, a recent survey of local residents undertaken by the Harbour Business Forum to assess concerns and ambitions for harbour planning showed strong concern about air pollution in Hong Kong.

Why do people feel helpless? People fear Hong Kong has little control of the situation because of the impact of sources of pollution arising across the border in Guangdong.

The good news is a lot can be done, locally and across the border. However, far-sighted, determined action over a sustained period is required. What people demand today is a clearly articulated broad strategy on how to attack the problem, and then for those who are responsible to get on with it.

Understanding air quality is challenging. There are complex issues involved, including science, meteorology, technology, standards, regulation, law, urban planning, energy, economics, finance and public health.

Dealing with any one of these is hard enough but to integrate all these into policies requires sophistication and Herculean effort.

There is no single source of pollution to blame. Improving air quality requires multiple actions across a variety of areas. Air pollution arises from the combustion of fossil fuels, such as burning coal, oil (including petrol, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel and bunker fuel) and gas.

There are two distinct aspects to Hong Kong's air quality and equal importance must be attached to these if we want to clean up and improve public health.

First, there is regional air pollution from Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. This mixed combination of emissions contributes most to our haze problem.

Second, there is our local pollution, arising mainly from power plants and vehicles. Vehicular pollution is exacerbated by the "street canyon effect" in which the density of high-rise buildings prevents the dispersal of emissions.