Topic: Sustainable Development

Topic: Sustainable Development

1. What is sustainable development?

Definition of sustainable development:
- In 1983, the United Nations organized the World Commission on
Environment and Development (WCED).
- Four years later (i.e. 1987), its landmark report - “Our Common Future”,
was published. One of the principle topics focused on by the United
Nations’ Brundtland Commission Reports in 1987 was sustainable
development.
- The wide definition of “sustainable development” endorsed by the WCED
is that “sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of
the present generation without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs”.

Objective of sustainable development:

- The objective of sustainable development is to balance social, economic and
environmental needs for both present and future generations,
simultaneously achieving a vibrant economy, social progress and better
environmental quality locally, nationally and internationally.
- As the concept of the sustainable development can be adopted to different
aspects of our lives, the success of sustainable development relies on the
concerted efforts of the government and the public.

Government’s policy towards “Sustainable Development”:

- In Hong Kong, the Chief Executive made it clear in his 1999 Policy Address
that the government is endeavouring to build Hong Kong into a world-class
city and to make Hong Kong a clean, comfortable and pleasant home.
- All these require a fundamental change of mindset to bring about full
integration of the needs of the economic and social development with that to
conserve the environment.

2. Why do we need sustainable development?

Current situation:
- Development enhances economic growth and improves the quality of
human life.
- The continuous increase in human population and the need for better living
standard have accelerated the progress of development.

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Topic: Sustainable Development

- However, every activity we pursue to meet our daily needs creates pressure
on the environment.
- In producing and consuming goods and services, we use up natural
resources and create emissions, effluent and wastes.
- These have resulted in resource depletion, extinction of endangered species
and various kinds of pollutions.
- As such, the environment is in a deteriorating state in which our future
generation can hardly sustain their development.

Advancement of sustainable development:

- Environmental problems are interlocking crisis which affect the Earth as a
whole.
- People are coming to realize that they should acquire a better understanding
on the potential risk of disaster to the environment associated with
development.
- This evokes the concept of sustainable development.
- Sustainable development is not a totally new concept. It is the latest
expression of a long-standing ethic involving people’s relationship with the
environment, and the current generation’s responsibilities to future
generations.

3. What are the attitudes of general public towards sustainable development?

People’s general attitudes:
- Different people have different attitudes towards sustainable development
as they have different perception of the proper relationship between
technology and society.
- Some people tend to see science as not providing the final solutions to the
problems, but rather as a tool to displace the problems to someone else,
someplace else or sometime in the future.
- People are shortsighted and controversially adhere to economically exploit
the environment for the benefit of the mankind instead of to conserve and
protect the environment for the next generations.
- Businessmen are reluctant to pay for the cost of environmental protection
who believe that it will eventually reduce the competitive power of their
development.

Situations at developed countries:

- Most people identify that we have serious environmental problems such as

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Topic: Sustainable Development

global warming, worsening air and water quality, waste management, etc.
- The governments of developed countries have been taking an active role in
mitigating the conditions.
- However, some people seems to mainly rely on the government to handle
the environmental problems, and do not realize the importance of individual
effort in the environmental conservation issues.

Situations at developing countries:

- In general, the education level of the people in developing countries is low
as compared with that in developed countries. People in developing
countries may not have any knowledge about environmental protection.
Most of them believe that the damages to the environment are of minor and
will be recovered some day.
- Most local governments are struggling with severe financial burdens.
- Living quality at developing countries is generally low.
- In this connection, the concept of the need to replenish resources for their
next generations remains to be a lower priority in comparison to economic
development.

4. How to change public’s attitudes towards sustainable development?

Need to change people’s attitudes:
- Sustainable development is a global topic, and its success is crucial to the
living of our future generations.
- Every person in the world is utilizing the resources in the planet, and is
therefore bearing a responsibility to the conservation of the environment.
- The success of sustainable development relies on the concerted efforts of
the government and the public.
- People’s shortsighted economical consideration should be corrected. People
should get used to balancing the impacts of their acts in respect of economy,
society and environment to their future generations.
- In this connection, the public’s awareness of sustainable development is the
first key to the success.

Education for revolution of culture:

- The social conscious and moral responsibility of individuals on
environmental damage should be changed in order to move towards
sustainability.
- Government’s initiatives in developing a political consensus of a shared

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Topic: Sustainable Development

vision and goals for a sustainable future are necessary.

- Education can serve as an effective way to develop the public’s global
thinking and enhance their understanding on sustainable development.
Funding should be reserved for environmental education to increase public
awareness on their contributions to reduce pollution.
- The effect of environmental education should be paid right from the
curriculum and extra-curriculum activities of schools instill the youngster
with the concept of sustainable development in their early stage of life in
which their acceptability to new things is stronger.

Restructure of economic system:

- To rectify people’s shortsightedness on economical consideration with
respect to environmental problems, the government should bring the cost of
pollution into the open.
- People who benefits from the use of the environment will ultimately have to
pay for the cost of it in full.
- Such cost should not be hidden. Instead, it should be made visible in the
form of pollution tax or the like such that people will realize their
responsibility to the conservation of environment.
- The “polluter pays principle” currently implemented on sewage services
emphasizes that the higher the quantity and the heavier the pollutant level of
wastewater discharge, the more the premise owners have to pay for its
treatment. As such people will find incentive to strike a balance among
economy, society and environment leading to sustainable development.

Government’s policy:
- The government can also take economic measures to alter the behaviour of
consumers and produce into a sustainable manner. One of the measures is to
promote the use of environmentally friendly products, such as the use of
low-sulphur diesel and LPG. Reduction in taxation can also be applied to
make the products more competitive. In view of cost effectiveness, more
drivers will opt for these alternatives.
- The government should support the environmental industry such as
recycling industry by providing land and financial subsidize. Recycling
helps to minimize depletion of natural resources.

Public consultation:
- Participation of local residents should be strengthened in the society’s

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decision-making process.
- Getting public’s involvement and acceptance is also a mean to facilitate the
subsequent implementation of policy and measures.
- A step has been put forward in recent years by introducing an environmental
impact assessment to major development projects.
- It is important that the interest groups’ voices are heard and that their
arguments are considered and discussed.

Enhancement of communication:
- An effective communication to deliver the message of environmental
protection is crucial to the success of the sustainability.
- Non-governmental organization (NGO), such as green groups, professional
bodies and academic institutions play a critical role in advancing education
for sustainability development through research, training, talks and
exhibitions.
- In addition to convening national conferences and seminars on education for
sustainability, professional organizations disseminate information on topics
pertaining to the environment and distribute educational publications,
newsletters, curriculum guides, and creating teaching aids.

5. What is the role of government towards sustainable development?

Leader of the play:
- A city’s sustainability relies on the individual’s involvement.
- Government is the only party has adequate authorities and resources to
achieve it.
- Government should take the lead to direct the whole community towards
sustainability development.

Promotion and education:

- Public’s awareness on sustainable development can be aroused through
difference kinds of promotion activities.
- Education in schools instills the youngster with the concept of sustainable
development in their early stage of life in which their acceptability to new
things is stronger.

Legislation and enforcement:

- Environmental policy and ordinance should be formulated to implement
environmental protection in various origins of pollution.

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Topic: Sustainable Development

Economic incentives:
- The government can also take economic measures to alter the behaviour of
consumers and produce into a sustainable manner.
- One of the measures is to promote the use of environmentally friendly
products by providing tax concession.
- Financial support and land allocation should be made to the environmental
industries.
- Polluter pays principle or other similar pollution tax is enforced.

Coordination:
- Often, pollution problems are not local, but territorial and regional. The
government should closely liaise with our neighbours, such as Guangdong
Province on the environmental issues.
- Officials in environmental protection should attend international conference
so as to learn from other countries’ experience.

Integration of the concept of sustainable development in planning:

- Being the chief architect of the territory, the government has the
responsibility to take into account the consideration of sustainability in the
planning of the future development of the future.

Encouraging public’s participation:

- Public’s participation should be strengthened in all policy making processes
which involve the beneficial of whole community.

6. What are been done by HKSAR government towards sustainable development?

The 1999 Policy Address – “Making Hong Kong an Ideal Home”:
- The Chief Executive emphasized the importance of the community, the
business sector and the Government working in partnership to embrace the
principles into practice.
- A Council for Sustainable Development was set up to provide expert advice
to the government and to keep the public regularly informed about its work.
It would also encourage the community to put the concept of sustainable
development into practice.
- A $100M grant was made to support community initiatives on sustainable
development especially in educational programmes for citizens and students
to develop a strong awareness of sustainability.

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Topic: Sustainable Development

- All bureaux were required to carry out sustainability assessments of major

policy proposals.
- A Sustainable Development Units (SDU) was established to monitor these
assessments and to provide analysis and support to the Council.

Sustainability assessment:
- All bureaux and departments are required to carry out sustainability
assessments of new strategic initiatives or major programmes which may
bring about noticeable or persistent implications on the economic,
environmental and social conditions of Hong Kong.
- With effect from April 2002, the above sustainability assessment findings or
results of their proposals must be included in their submissions to the
Executive Council (ExCo).
- The sustainability assessment should be conducted at the early planning
stage of a proposal. It should help scope out cross-sectoral issues and
sensitive areas that require special attention or joint departmental
examination at an early stage.

Guiding principles in sustainability assessment:

- Economy - Hong Kong should achieve a competitive and prosperous
market-based economy which provides the resources to meet the needs and
aspirations of the population, both now and in the future.
- Health and hygiene - Hong Kong should provide a living and working
environment and pursue policies which promote and protect the physical
and mental health and safety of the people of Hong Kong.
- Natural resources - Hong Kong should promote the sustainable use of
natural resources to minimize its ecological footprint through improving
consumption efficiency, minimizing the use of non-renewable resources and
re-using, recycling waste and recovering energy from wastes.
- Society and social infrastructure - Hong Kong should foster a stable,
equitable, ethical and progressive society and enable present and future
individuals to contribute to and fulfill their potential by providing universal
access to adequate and appropriate educational opportunity and social
infrastructure.
- Biodiversity - To maintain the biodiversity of Hong Kong and to minimize
any threat which consumption in Hong Kong may have on biodiversity
elsewhere.
- Leisure and cultural vibrancy - Protect and enhance the vibrancy of Hong

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Topic: Sustainable Development

Kong’s recreational opportunities, leisure activities, cultural diversity,

archaeological, historical and architectural assets.
- Environmental quality - Hong Kong should be pro-active in avoiding
environmental problems for present and future generations, seek to find
opportunities to enhance environmental quality, and minimize the unwanted
side effects, locally, nationally and internationally, of development and
inefficiencies such as air, noise and water pollution or land contamination.
- Mobility - Hong Kong should provide safe, accessible, efficient and clean
transport systems and pedestrian facilities along with an efficient transport
network for the movement of goods and facilitation of services for the
community.

Sustainability indicators:
- For the purpose of sustainability assessment, the guiding principles are
represented and measured by some quantifiable indicators.

7. How can engineers equip themselves for sustainable development?

Changing role of engineers:
- Engineers are the leaders of the interdisciplinary teams involved in the
decision-making process itself and as agents for change.
- In this connection, engineers must become the “facilitators of sustainable
development”.

Preparation of engineers for the change:

- Cultivate a broader understanding of political, economic, technical and
social issues and processes related to sustainable development.
- Acquire the skills, knowledge and information to facilitate a sustainable
future.
- Develop the tools required to achieve sustainable integration of the
environment and development, together with other scientists and
practitioners.
- Develop economic approaches that recognize natural resources and our
environment as capital assets.
- Move beyond his disciplines to evaluate alternatives and to effect policy
changes towards sustainable development.
- Develop project teams with other design professionals, economists, and
social, environmental and physical scientists to arrive at ecologically
sustainable solutions.

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Topic: Sustainable Development

- Adopt and apply an integrated systems approach where the relationships of

the parts to the whole are considered.
- Work collaboratively with other trade and professional organizations that
are focused on this issue to minimize duplication and bring the greatest
resources to bear on advancing sustainability.

8. What are the conflicts between the public’s aspiration for a civilized life and
the maintenance of natural environment?
Public’s aspiration for a civilized life:
- The consequence of scientific development and engineering technology has
led people to demand for higher standard of living.
- It is the rapid economic growth that civil engineering projects are called for
to cope with such a demand.
- Infrastructure is a physical asset of a society. An efficient infrastructure is of
great economic importance both to industry and individuals in providing
reliable energy supplies, transport, communication, water supplies, sewage
treatment and disposal as well as waste disposal.
- To sustain the civilized life, civil engineers are expected to provide their
technical know-how to design and build the structural fabric of civilization.

Impacts of civil engineering works on the natural environment:

- Due to extensive nature of the projects, their effects on the natural
environment may be significant and these have brought about a number of
social and environmental problems.
- In the past, civil engineers directed “the great sources of power in nature for
the use and convenience of man”, and the environment was as much
associated with the standard of living as with the natural world. They were
not well aware of the importance of the impact of the environment when
implementing civil engineering projects.
- Without a proper control system of such projects, undesirable effects may
be produced such as noise, air and water pollution, acid rain, greenhouse
effect as well as resource depletion.
- For instance, lands with ecological importance are resumed for the
construction of large highways projects or new town development. Air,
noise or water pollution generated by construction projects can destroy the
natural beauty of the scene nearby and caused nuisance to the nearby
residents.
- Unless a balance is maintained between the development of the community

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and preservation of the environment, the potential economic and social

benefits may be outweighed by cost associated with environmental damage.

9. How does an engineer take part in resolving the conflict of public’s aspiration
for a civilized life and the maintenance of natural environment?
Planning and design:
- A well-planned and designed project is essential in minimizing the conflicts
with the natural environment.
- During the early stage of a project, civil engineers should take into account
the possible undesirable environment effects in the selection of the site1.
- A structured environmental impact assessment should be carried out under
the EIAO to select the most viable scheme based on the social, economical
as well as the environmental factors, in order to obtain the environmental
permit for the commencement of the works.
- Relevant ordinances controlling water, air and noise pollutions should be
taken into consideration during the planning stage of a project.
- At the detailed design stage, the adopted design should satisfy not only the
functional requirements but also the requirements for environmental
protection.
- For instance, a sewage pumping station, being part of the sewerage, aims at
reducing the pollution of the sewage will bring along with environmental
nuisance such as odour problems, noise pollution and visual impacts to the
nearby environment. The designers should make use of appropriate
structures such as enclosed concrete strucutures and/or deodourization units
to house the treatment units which will generate a high level of noise and
odour. Pleasant landscaping works should be provided to blend it with the
surrounding natural environment.
- Adequate public consultations of the project during the design stage can
promote the value of the construction, hence making the nearby population
more willing to accept the environmental impacts generated during the
construction.
- A close liaison and good relationship between the various parties of a
project and the public can help to reduce the objections to the
implementation of the project and ensure that the end-product satisfy the
need of the public.

Implementation and operation stages:

1
For instance, alignment deign of highway, minimizing land resumption.

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Topic: Sustainable Development

- Construction stage directly interferes with the natural environment and

cause most noticeable impacts to the public.
- The engineers should ensure all environmental mitigation measures derived
in the design stages are implemented properly and should monitor the
effectiveness of such measures.
- Necessary adaptive measures should also be made in due course to cater for
the unexpected activities which will cause threat to the environment during
construction.
- Successful mitigation measures can effectively improve the image of
construction projects.
- In addition, a proper monitoring and audit scheme should be derived to
continuously assess the environmental effects of the project throughout its
service life.
- Any operational problems should be identified and remedied as soon as
possible.

10. Can you give me some examples for sustainable development?

Traffic congestion:
- In view of the traffic congestion, people might try to build more roads.
- However, we know that the origin of the problem is the ever-increasing and
the more scatterly distributed population.
- Due to the limited land spaces, it is not possible building more roads to
meet the need of the blooming population.
- Another concern on expansion of highway network is the unbearably poor
road-side air pollution.
- Constructing more roads to deal with the problem of traffic congestion is
not sustainable as we cannot use it every time when we face the same
problem.
- More sustainable solution may be switching people to railway, better land-
use planning, population control, etc.

Construction waste disposal charging scheme:

- In 2002, over 7 million tones of waste being disposed of in our three
landfills.
- Only 45% of which are municipal solid waste while other 48% are
construction waste. Since the waste volume continues to grow, the landfills
are filling up much faster than expected, and are projected to last only 4 to 7
years.

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Topic: Sustainable Development

- Disposal of waste at landfills is free of charge which is undesirable and

encourages indiscriminate disposal of waste at landfills.
- As such, to be in line with the “polluter pays principle”, landfill charging is
an essential component of our waste management strategy as it provides an
economic incentive for waste producers to reduce waste and to carry out
sorting to facilitate reuse/recycling of waste, thereby helping to slow down
the depletion of limited landfill capacity as well as wastage of resources.

11. Can you tell me how did your project plan and design for sustainable
development?
River training project at Sheung Shui and Fanling:
- Sheung Shui and Fanling are located in a flood prone area in North New
Territories.
- In the recent decades, changes in land use and rapid urban development in
the original flood plain has increased the surface runoff
- However, the flow capacity of the existing natural river channel is
decreased due to the illegal land filling and blockage by the refuse and
agricultural waste.
- In addition, Hong Kong has experience high and remarkable extreme
rainfall in recent years.
- All these contributed to the need of having a flood control measures to
protect the low-lying areas at North District.
- The existing natural rivercourses in Sheung Shui and Fanling are narrow,
shallow and meandering.
- To this end, river training works was implemented to widen, deepen and
straighten the rivercourses so as to increase their flow capacity.
- In view that the nearby areas are ecological sensitive areas, alignment of the
river was so designed such that, apart from satisfying the functional
requirements, the impact to those areas would be minimum.
- A tight environmental monitoring and auditing programme was
implemented during construction.
- Contaminated mud excavated must be disposed of at the designated
location.

Footbridge project at Tsing Yi:

- In conjunction with the opening of Lantau Link in 1997, the Lantau Link
Visitors Centre has also started operation
- In the past, visitors to the centre used the public car park when they arrived.

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Topic: Sustainable Development

- They then walked across a slip road to get to the centre and the viewing
platform on the opposite side, using the at-grade crossing
- The slip road would be connected to the Tsing Yi North Coastal Road, and
the road would be subject to high speed traffic.
- For the sake of visitors’ safety, it was considered necessary to replace the
at-grade crossing by a footbridge.
- The location of the footbridge is a popular scenic spot for local visitors and
tourists, and the footbridge is the only access for them to the visitors centre
and the viewing platform. In order to give a better impression to the local
visitors and tourists and to tie in with the setting, an innovative and
prestigious scheme was adopted. To this end, a cable-stayed design was
selected which is in harmony with the surrounding environment.

Sewerage project at Outlying Islands:

- At present, the sewage generated in Outlying Islands is only partially treated
by private facilities (like septic tanks) and is then discharged into the sea.
- This has caused pollution in the Southern Waters of Hong Kong.
- In view of this, the EPD had commissioned the “Outlying Islands Sewerage
Master Plan Study” and proposed the “Outlying Islands Sewerage Projects”
to alleviate the pollution problem
- The implementation of these projects will provide the outlying islands with
the public sewers, sewage treatment and disposal facilities.
- Extensive discussions with the villagers were arranged in the design stage
on the background of the project and the alignment design of the sewer
networks.
- UPVC pipes were chosen to be the material for the sewers in order to
facilitate construction within narrow alleys and to minimize the construction
time and hence the nuisance caused to the public.

Sewerage project at Sai Kung:

- In 1989, a consultancy study was commissioned by EPD to carry out the
“Port Shelter Sewerage Master Plan Study” to recommend measures for
implementation to reduce water pollution at Port Shelter, Sai Kung.
- The proposed sewage conveyance system is one among many sewerage
projects recommended under SMP.
- It is essential in conveying the sewage collected from developments in Sai
Kung Planning Area 4 and its upstream areas to the Sai Kung Sewage
Treatment Works for treatment and disposal.

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Topic: Sustainable Development

- In accordance with the approved Sai Kung Town North Planning Area 4
Layout Plan, the planned developments include hotel, school and
recreational, residential and commercial developments.
- The upstream areas are mainly village type development.
- Sai Kung promenade is a famous spot in Hong Kong for seafood, and
attracts many foreign tourists. The project aims at improving the water
quality in Port Shelter and enhancing the image of Hong Kong.
- The programming of the project had been tied in with other construction
projects which would be carried out in proximity so as to minimize the
accumulated nuisance to the adjacent residents and business.

Reclamation project at West Kowloon:

- The scope of this contract covered the remaining part of the reclamation
works of the West Kowloon Reclamation (WKR), which aimed at providing
12.7 hectares of land in southern area of WKR for the future development.
- Public fill, i.e. the inert part of the construction waste, is used as the fill
material which is an important outlet for it.
- Drained method is adopted to minimize the dredging of contaminated
marine mud, and the subsequent disposal of the dredged materials.
- The project also comprised the construction of wave absorbing seawall
aiming at reducing the wave reflected from the seawall while providing
facilities for berthing.

Sewerage project at Yuen Long South:

- In 1992, the Yuen Long and Kam Tin Sewerage Master Plan was developed
out of a review and performance assessment of existing sewerage systems
in the areas and consideration of appropriate mechanisms for serving the
outlying areas to the major urban centres of Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai and
the TM/YL corridor.
- The effluent would receive at least preliminary treatment in the form of
screening and grit removal prior to discharge. Consideration should be
given to upgrading to primary treatment in the future.
- Constructing a new system rather than upgrading the existing sewerage is
because most people were now living along the Castle Peak Road and
upgrading of the existing sewerage system would cause nuisance to the
public during construction and operation stage. In stead, construction of trnk
sewer along the Yuen Long Highway would cause less nuisance to the
public as there were only low density residential area nearby. Besides, since

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there is no proper sewerage existed in the southern part of Yuen Long, this
arrangement can help to facilitate the future development and provide
systematic sewerage in that area.
- Since the proposed sewage pumping stations were situated within the
scheduled areas, more stringent requirements (e.g. deeper toe-in in rock
layer) were set for pipe foundation. Raft foundation is adopted for the
sewage pumping station from economical point of view.
- Trenchless sewer laying method is adopted to avoid undue impacts to traffic
and public during the sewer construction across the Yuen Long Highway
and Yuen Long nullah.

12. What is the sustainable development strategy for Hong Kong?

Process for formulating the sustainable strategy for Hong Kong:
- Pilot areas:- three policy areas are chosen for the initial stage of formulating
the sustainable development strategy.
- Preparation of a document to invite responses:- the government has set up
three support groups with each group works independently on the chapter
relevant to its pilot area.
- Directly involving the wider community:- exhibitions, hearings and
seminars are arranged to raise awareness of the public and to provide a
platform for stakeholders to meet and discuss the issue involved.
- Reporting:- the support groups will collect and assess the response of the
public and will advise the government on the way forward for the pilot
areas from the sustainable development point of view.
- The government to act:- Having taken into consideration of the supporting
groups’ advice, the government will publish a strategy document outlying
the measures that it will propose in order to move towards sustainable
outcomes in the relevant pilot areas.

Three pilot areas:

- Solid waste management
- Renewable energy
- Urban living space

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