Air pollution in Hong Kong is considered a serious problem. It affects flora and fauna in the area, and the health of residents living there. Visibility is currently less than eight kilometers for 30% of the year. Cases of asthma and bronchial infections have soared in recent years due to reduced air quality.
Sources of pollution
The dense population, smoke-belching factories and power stations, ceaseless construction and large numbers of diesel vehicles have made for dangerous levels of particulate matter (RSP) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ).
Local industry and transport
Whilst the Government has in the past maintained that the Mainland was an important source of airborne pollutants, experts have estimated that most of Hong Kong's acid rain comes from its own industry and transport: Most of Hong Kong’s power is generated by burning coal. Electricity generation produces half of Hong Kong’s total emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulates, and 92 per cent of its total sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions. Most local power stations do not yet have flue gas desulphurisation, although equipment is being installed and the government has required that all new generation capacity should come from natural gas.
In terms of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, the city's Castle Peak power plant, run by China Light and Power, was named the third most polluting electricity generator in the world by Washington-based group Carbon Monitoring for Action (CARMA), which estimated that the power station produced 35.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in order to generate 28.2 million MWh of energy. The generator, however, claims emissions were one-third of that level.
Hong Kong’s roads are also some of the most crowded in the world, with almost 280 vehicles for every kilometre of road. The city’s commercial vehicle fleet is dominated by heavily polluting, aging goods vehicles, most of which run between the city and the Pearl River Delta/Shenzhen. Diesel commercial vehicles are responsible 90% of RSPs and 80% of NO 2 emissions from the entire road transport sector, despite making up only 23% of the vehicle fleet. Double-decker diesel buses and a steadily growing fleet of private cars have also added to congestion and pollution.
According to research at the University of Hong Kong, the air in Hong Kong contains almost three times more soot and other pollutants than New York's and more than twice of that in London. Environmentalists blame principally the electricity companies, which have been ordered by the government to cut emissions. Hong Kong has declared the goal of reducing levels of four major pollutants by 55 percent by 2010.
Air pollution figures for the very wet June 2008 were higher than for corresponding periods in the last two years, causing scientists to be mystified as to its unexpected behaviour.
Mainland Chinese industry
Factories in the Mainland is a significant cause of air pollution in Hong Kong. Before the rapid industrialization of Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta region in the 1980s and 90s, smog or haze across Victoria Harbor was rare. The appearance and continue deterioration of this phenomenon may possibly be explained by the rapid increase in the number of factories across the border, as the population and therefore domestic pollution in Hong Kong has been relatively stable over the last decade.
A study in 2007, using data from 2006, found that regional sources were "the primary influence on Hong Kong's air" for just 36% of the time (132 days a year) whilst local sources were responsible 56% of the time.
Controversy about monitoring
The EPD's Air Pollution Index
The Environmental Protection Department in Hong Kong was established to solve problems and provide for a long lasting acceptable level of air quality.
In June 1995, instead of adopting internationally accepted benchmark index for pollution, it set up the Air Pollution Index as in indicator to pollution levels, both "General" and "Roadside".
Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) for seven widespread air pollutants were established in 1987 under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (APCO), and have not been reviewed since it was set up. It is not clear how the levels are determined.
In October 2005, Task Force on Air Pollution criticised the Government for deluding itself with a pollution index that is a "meaningless" indicator of health risks. Professor Wong Tze-wai, at the Chinese University commented that the current air pollution index "gives a false sense of security". Gary Wong, a professor at the Chinese University's Department of Paediatrics and School of Public Health, said that under the current index, "some harmful pollution components aren't even recorded." In addition, he pointed out that there is no strategic plan or a timetable to tackle the problem, unlike in other countries
Street-level air quality regularly falls short of the government’s Air Quality Objectives (AQOs), and even further short of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines, revised in October.
Academics called for Hong Kong Government to immediately update its air quality objectives set almost twenty years ago. For example, on 19 and 20 November 2006, roadside levels of respirable suspended particulates (RSPs – equivalent to PM10) exceeded the WHO guidelines by at least 300%. Prof Anthony Hedley of the University of Hong Kong said in September 2007 that if Hong Kong's API was based on WHO recommended levels, our readings would be "absolutely sky high" for most of the year. Secretary for Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung said the WHO targets were too stringent.
Greenpeace's Real Air Pollution Index
In September 2008, Greenpeace China's Hong Kong office launched its "Real Air Pollution Index" as part of a campaign to get the government to update the API to match WHO guidelines. The Real Air Pollution Index reports hourly pollution levels from 14 monitoring stations across the region and compares them to WHO standards.
Effects
Poor visibility
Declining regional air quality means visibility has also decreased dramatically. In 2004, low visibility occurred 18% of the time – the highest on record, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. The number of days in which visibility was less than eight kilometers rose to 102 in 2005 from 40 in 1997.
Health implications
The mortality rate from vehicular pollution can be twice as high near heavily traveled roads, based on a study conducted in Holland at residences 50 meters from a main road and 100 meters from a freeway. Since millions of people in Hong Kong live and work in close proximity to busy roads, this presents a major health risk to city residents. The Hong Kong Medical Association estimates that air pollution can exacerbate asthma, impair lung function and raise the risk of cardio-respiratory death by 2 to 3 percent for every increase of 10 micrograms per cubic metre of pollutants. Studies by local public health experts have found that these roadside pollution levels are responsible for 90,000 hospital admissions and 2,800 premature deaths every year.
Donald Tsang's comments
Chief Executive Donald Tsang declared that the high life-expectancy of Hong Kong demonstrates that concerns over air quality were not justified.
Professor Anthony Hedley, chair of community medicine at Hong Kong University, said "Tsang is badly advised on current public health issues." Hedley added that air pollution levels in the SAR were extremely high, and could affect the lungs, blood vessels and heart. James Tien, former Chairman of the Liberal Party of Hong Kong, retorted, "Can really be confident that, if pollution continues to worsen, will he be able to promise the same life expectancy for our children and for our grandchildren?"
Economic impact
Even as early as 2000, the total negative impact to the Hong Kong Economy, including cardiorespiratory disease was in excess of HK$11.1 billion (http://ec.hku.hk/improvehk/Issues/Vol_3/IHK_Vol_3.pdf). Research by three universities and a think-tank estimates that the pollution is costing Hong Kong about HK$21.2 billion a year in hospital admissions and lost productivity. In addition, about 1,600 deaths a year might be avoided if air quality improves.
Made aware of fresh statistical and anecdotal evidence that pollution is driving away business and hurting Hong Kong's global competitiveness, James Tien called air pollution "a health issue, a lifestyle issue, a tourism issue, a business issue, and increasingly a political issue."
Merrill Lynch downgraded several Hong Kong property companies because of air quality concerns, and there have been warnings from the head of the Stock Exchange that pollution was scaring investors away. It said that the air quality in Hong Kong is now regularly so poor that its "long-term competitiveness is in some doubt", and advised clients to switch into developers in Singapore instead.
Pollution is dramatically harming not only the health of citizens of Hong Ko