The Pearl River Delta
Established in 1979, the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone (PRDZ) was part of a series of SEZs created after the Open Door Policy to encourage trade and economic growth through government regulation and administration. Its implementation led to unforeseen economic success – two decades later after its launch in 2000, its GDP rose from $8 billion to $89 billion. Three decades later in 2006, its GDP reached $269.27 billion. Foreign investors flocked toward the opportunities offered by this center of industry for investments and profit. [1]
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Environmental Planning and Hong Kong's Shifting Industry
The incredible rate of Hong Kong’s urbanization and industrialization in the last decades has led to great capital growth, but also severe environmental harm. Weak regulation in the Guangdong Province and other parts of mainland China attracted Hong Kong’s manufacturers, who could now afford to relax post production environmental cleanup procedures. However, this led to a pileup of pollution which spread from the Pearl River Delta to affect nearby Hong Kong. In addition to industrial waste, the over consumption of natural resources also contributed to environmental degradation. Fossil fuels, water, and other natural resources were all but depleted from the land resulting in severe damage to the existing city. [2]
Air quality in Hong Kong is another large issue, as it is in other eastern industrial cities of China. Partially due to the rapid industrialization and urbanization, the air quality of Hong Kong has deteriorated steadily in the past 30 years. In a three year study that began in 1999, it was revealed that 80% of emissions came from the Guangdong province where the factory were moved, and the remaining 20% came from Hong Kong itself. [3] The 535 kilometer square Shenzhen Bay wetland contains a rich ecosystem that cares for a large population of migratory birds. Half of the bay is in Hong Kong’s domain and the other half in Shenzhen. By the late 1900s, industrial wastes, sewage, and pollution from livestock damaged the area and posed a threat to the environment. In reaction to this, Hong Kong’s government claimed the Mai Po Marshes as a site of “Special Scientific Interest,” and established a committee between Shenzhen, Guangdong, and themselves to conduct studies on how to maintain the area. This led to the following formations:
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GOVERNMENT ROLE IN HONG KONG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
China’s 11th Five Year Plan (2006-2010) was one of a successive series of administration to revitalize and reboot China’s economy. As opposed to past experiences, which focused on economic growth, the 11th Five Year Plan moved towards solutions of sustainable energy to create a balanced partnership between urban life and nature. Hong Kong became a target of focus. Currently, China is on its 12th Five-Year Plan and is continuing to address economic growth while focusing on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions through the improvement of energy efficiency. [3]
In 2007, China made its intent of focusing on climate change official by joining the Asia-Pacific Economic cooperation (APEC) pact of reducing energy intensity by 25% of the 2005 base year’s statistics in the next 15 years (2030). China’s involvement sparked the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to join the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group in the same year, where they worked on distributing carbon audits and updating energy codes. Following China’s energy intensity reduction, the HKSAR began its own reduction plan of 50% to 60% from 2005 to 2020. Its participation in the effort has put Hong Kong at the head of China’s developed cities and makes it a good model for others to follow suit. [3]
In 2007, China made its intent of focusing on climate change official by joining the Asia-Pacific Economic cooperation (APEC) pact of reducing energy intensity by 25% of the 2005 base year’s statistics in the next 15 years (2030). China’s involvement sparked the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to join the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group in the same year, where they worked on distributing carbon audits and updating energy codes. Following China’s energy intensity reduction, the HKSAR began its own reduction plan of 50% to 60% from 2005 to 2020. Its participation in the effort has put Hong Kong at the head of China’s developed cities and makes it a good model for others to follow suit. [3]
Sources:
- Yeung, Y., & Shen, J. (2003). Economic growth and the potential for port development in the western Pearl River Delta. Hong Kong: Shanghai-Hong Kong Development Institute.
- Loh, C. (2011). Hong Kong-mainland innovations in environmental protections since 1980. Asian Survey, 51(4), 610-632.
- Augustin-Jean, L. (2005). Urban Planning In Hong Kong and Integration with the Pearl River Delta: A Historical Account of Local Development. GeoJournal,Vol. 62(No. 1/2), 1-13. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from Jstor.
Images:
- http://mapsof.net/map/pearl-river-delta-area
- Aquila Clanga: http://www.mangoverde.com/wbg/picpages/pic30-206-5.html
- http://lttds.blogspot.com/2013/01/first-week-of-moderations-residency-at.html
- http://lttds.blogspot.com/2013/01/first-week-of-moderations-residency-at.html