Wai W T
Department of Community & Family Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin.
Sci Total Environ. 1991 Jul 1;106(1-2):137-41. doi: 10.1016/0048-9697(91)90026-b.
In the process of industrialization, Hong Kong has created an ever deteriorating environment. The increase in GDP is paralleled by a corresponding surge in the quantity of pollutants generated. Government initiatives to assess the gravity of the problem and to protect the environment began in the 1970s. The fear that too stringent control of the environment may stifle the industrial and business sectors has resulted in ineffective policies and inadequate environmental protection. Presently, Hong Kong is faced with poor air quality in most urban areas, streams polluted by livestock waste, beaches with excessive bacterial and toxic chemical concentrations, land pollution resulting from lack of space for solid waste disposal, and a high noise level from road traffic, construction and, in particular, aircraft traffic because of the location of the airport in the midst of a residential and industrial district. In a recent White Paper, Government outlined the new strategies to combat environmental pollution, which include a restructuring of the policy branch on environmental issues under the scope of planning and land use, upgrading of the sewage system, relocation of the airport, and the reduction of the sulphur content of industrial fuel. In the years ahead, Hong Kong is faced with new challenges. Environmentally, the commissioning of the nuclear plant at Daya Bay poses a risk of ionizing radiation. The construction of the new airport, together with extensive reclamation of the harbour and expansion of seaport facilities, will create changes in the tidal flow and the ecological system. The negative effects on the environment must be considered together with the potentially beneficial effects, economical and environmental. To achieve maximum impact in environmental protection, community participation is essential. To this end, education on the conservation of the environment should be expanded and specially targeted at schoolchildren, in whom environmental education has been neglected.
在工业化进程中，香港的环境日益恶化。本地生产总值的增长伴随着污染物排放量的相应激增。政府在20世纪70年代开始采取行动评估问题的严重性并保护环境。由于担心对环境进行过于严格的管制可能会抑制工商业发展，导致政策不力，环境保护措施不足。目前，香港大部分市区空气质量欠佳，溪流受到禽畜废物污染，泳滩细菌及有毒化学物质含量过高，因缺乏固体废物处理空间而造成土地污染，而且由于机场位于商住区中间，道路交通、建筑工程，特别是飞机交通产生的噪音水平很高。政府在最近一份白皮书里概述了应对环境污染的新策略，其中包括在规划及土地用途范围内重组负责环境事务的政策科、提升污水系统、迁移机场，以及降低工业燃料的含硫量。未来几年，香港面临新的挑战。在环境方面，大亚湾核电站的启用带来电离辐射风险。新机场的建设，以及大规模的填海工程和海港设施的扩建，将改变潮汐流动和生态系统。必须综合考虑对环境的负面影响以及在经济和环境方面可能带来的有益影响。为了在环境保护方面取得最大成效，社区参与至关重要。为此，应扩大环境保护教育，尤其要针对在校学生，因为一直以来对他们的环境教育有所忽视。
