How large-scale East Lantau reclamation can provide the best foundation for Hong Kong’s future
Eugene Kin-keung Chan says the enhanced version of the East Lantau Metropolis, proposed by Our Hong Kong Foundation, balances the city’s need for housing, conservation and development
The enhanced plan is more aggressive. The foundation hopes to see 2,200 hectares of land reclaimed from the waters between the eastern coast of Lantau Island and the west side of Hong Kong Island, more than double the 1,000 hectares envisioned in the “2030 plus” plan. This artificial island, about half the size of the Kowloon peninsula, is expected to accommodate up to 1.1 million people.
Without doubt, this will resolve Hong Kong’s acute land shortage and housing problem in one go. In fact, reclamation is not uncommon in different parts of the world. In Asia, Singapore is an excellent example, with around 25 per cent of its total land area reclaimed from the sea. In Europe, the Netherlands is also well known for reclamation of marshland for agriculture and residential development.
A steady supply of land is the foundation of the sustainable development of a society because land is needed for both housing and a thriving economy, and regrettably land is what Hong Kong lacks. Major reclamation projects beyond Victoria Harbour, such as the East Lantau Metropolis that aim to address this shortage, should not be viewed with suspicion.