Will Hong Kong's environment be better in 2003? The government seems to be cautiously optimistic. There is progress in controlling vehicle emission and sewage discharged into the harbour. Yet, there is still room for improvement.
With increasing integration with the Pearl River Delta, cross-border problems like air quality, water conservation and marine pollution are topping the environmental agenda.
Waste disposal is a problem of growing importance in Hong Kong, and to meet it the SAR will step into a new age of polluters-pay principle this year, with the likely introduction of landfill charges. The plan has been shelved since 1995, but the authorities have vowed to push it forward this year.
The charges will not immediately help relieve pressure on the landfills, which are expected to be filled up in 10 to 15 years. Nor will this help to clean up streets and beaches in Hong Kong, which is all about civic awareness. But they will set the precedent and deliver the message that you have to pay for the waste you generate.
Construction companies will be the first to be hit by the charges, while there is no set timetable for domestic waste. There is bound to be resistance. When the charges were first proposed, landfills were blocked by dump truck drivers and rubbish was piled up for days at housing estates. Such unpleasant scenes might recur this year.
Of more concern than waste to the public at large is the quality of the air we breathe. Due to the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) conversion scheme for taxis and minibuses, air quality is expected to get better this year. By year's end, you might not be able to get a taxi driven by diesel, while more minibuses will become LPG-powered.
