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Ng Cho-nam, Hong Kong environmental crusader and government adviser, dies at 59
- Former Conservancy Association leader served on numerous government advisory groups on local environment and urban planning
- Beloved academic might be best remembered for rescuing Long Valley wetlands in 1999 – a rare success in the city’s conservation history.
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Ng Cho-nam, a prominent Hong Kong academic and a top government adviser on environmental issues, died on Friday. He was 59.
Ng, a professor of geography at the University of Hong Kong, suffered a stroke on Tuesday and was sent to Queen Mary Hospital. Blood clots in his brain could not be alleviated, according to his son, severely weakening his brain and heart.
“Dad left us peacefully at 4.06pm. He loved you all. He cherished every moment with every one of you,” said his son, Jason, in a message to friends. “Thank you for standing with us in this critical moment.”
Ng might be best remembered for his role in rescuing the Long Valley wetlands from a railway project in 1999 – a rare success in the city’s conservation history. The campaign became an example for the next generation of green activists.
Since the 1990s, Ng served on powerful government advisory bodies overseeing the environment and urban planning. He was also a leader of the Conservancy Association and was the government’s Silver Bauhinia Star in 2014 for his contributions to Hong Kong.
Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing, in a message of condolence, praised Ng’s active role in conserving rural areas and promoting biodiversity.
Joyce Ng covers Hong Kong’s politics and housing issues. She joined the Post in 2008 to focus on urban planning, housing and heritage news, and has won awards for reporting on developers’ tricks in flat sales.
Lilian joined the Post in 2019 as a senior reporter covering Hong Kong politics, Hong Kong-mainland issues, as well as housing and land policies. She started her career at Ming Pao in 2010 and was then a principal reporter at i-Cable News.
She has won awards for her reports on a major historic relic discovery in Hong Kong, as well as vote-rigging problems in local elections.
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