Hong Kong
From SEA.unu.edu/wiki
The Hong Kong Government EIA Website (see Environmental Assessment and Management) is the prime site for information on SEA in Hong Kong. Addition information is given below.
Natacha Juda and Sophie Masson
Contents |
Case Studies Hong Kong
Regulations and guidance
The EIA process has been applied to projects in Hong Kong since 1986, to plans since 1988, and to strategies and policies since 1992.
- in 1988 the government issued a revised circular ( = major development will be subject to an EIA) on the "Environmental review of major development projects" covering new town development as well as major projects.
- in 1990 the Environmental Planning Standards and Guidelines (overall planning standards and guidelines) were comprehensively revised to provide guidance for planners, architects and engineers in planning and designing major development in Hong Kong.
- SEA was conducted as part of the Territorial Development Strategy Review on land use planning and completed in 1996 by the government (public consultation in 1993 and 1996) to be similar to national land use planning in other places.
- in 1997: Enactment of Hong Kong's EIA ordinance (EIAO) in order to formalise 15 years of experiences on EIA, environmental monitoring and audit processes. The EIAO came into operation on 1st April of 1998.
- sept. 1997: Study on Sustainable Development for the 21st century SUSDEV21 started in order to create a sustainable development system SDS to help achieving sustainable development in Hong Kong.
- 1999 amendment of EAIO concerning the tourism sector.
Stages
More information is at: http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/eia
Screening
The environmental Review of Major Development Project Circular requires that major development plans and new town developments must be subject to EIA studies. A screening checklist can be prepared in order to facilitate the identification of potential environmental concerns for officers of non environmental background. Since the implementation of the EIAO there is a continuous broadening in the application of SEA in different economic and policy areas.
Screening categories and designated projects in EIAO
http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/eia/guid/ordinance/sh2_d-k.htm
Techniques and tools
Evaluation of several environmental performance tools like linked boxes models, to provide for instance information on the potential air quality impacts under different development scenarios. The modelisation is a very appreciated tool to do the visioning of the future scenario.
Public consultation
The public, representatives from industries, academics and green groups are consulted (Advisory Council on the Environment). Public participation in SEA in Hong Kong will be enhanced in the future. Hong Kong has also recently enacted its EIA legislation in order to achieve environmental sustainability.( see figure 2, EIAO website)
The EIAO facilitates public access and information in the process. The report projects profiles are made accessible to the public and information is put on the internet for the public to comment.( see chapter 13, EIAO website)
Evaluation
There are several indications on the effectiveness of the process in Hong Kong in the EIA ordinance:
Submission: the report has to be submitted to the legislative council, as for instance the Public Work Committee paper requestry approvals for capital work programmes
Indicated time limits:
o for the Director of Environmental Protection and relevant Authorities to respond to all applications,
o for the public and the Advisory council on the environment to comment on the project profile and the EIA report: at two different stages:
+ at a very early stage:14 days for both public and Advisory Council,
+ at a second stage: within 30 days for the public and 60 days for the Advisory Council on Environment (awareness and education components)
Enforcement:Under the EIAO there are several provisions for enforcement, for instance more than 5 Millions Hong Kong $ fine and up to 2 years emprisonment (to achieve greater transparency).
Experiences in Hong Kong suggest that SEA is a useful tool to allow for more informed decision making with better knowledge of the full environmental implications of policies or strategies. Consideration is given to regional issues, global concerns, cumulative effects, the use of economic instruments, and strategic choice of technologies. The SEA has successfully brought to the attention of the general public and decision makers the urgent need for actions to deal with environmental threats. Nevertheless, further efforts should be made to bridge the gap between EIA and sustainibility. A more pro-active approach in partnership building is needed to seek out win-win strategies through SEA. (Elvis Au and Victor Yeung, 1998).
Evolution of SEA
This section was added by Miriam Alobi
SEA in Hong Kong started in 1988 through to 2002. And this evolution occurred in three phases.
1998 to 1992 - Trying out phase which included plans/programmes, and EIA issues. 1992 to 1996 - Methodology Development and Building success stories. 1996 to 2002 - Wider application phase to other sectors.
Forms of SEA adopted in Hong Kong:
A robust and quantified SEA to fully inform decision makers, stakeholders and the public on environmental effects of projects, plans and programmes; what follow-up actions are to be required, and how environmental considerations are to be incorporated in the SEA in order to achieve a sustainable solution. This form is usually adopted in a large-scale and long-term land use planning processes.
Intergration of strategic environmental issues at the early stages of plans, for example in transport and infracture planning to assess alternatives.
A relatively simplified SEA designed for quick plan decision making whereby an SEA is carried out in a way similar to environmental appraisals. This SEA is included as part of an internal appraisal process, usually applied to plans in which decisions have to be taken within a short period of time.
SEA Legal Requirements in Hong Kong
In 1998, the government revised and issued a circular on environmental assessments for large scale development project including new town developments.
Since 1992, environmental implications arising from the proposals should be stated clearly in all submissions to the Executive Council.
The EIA Ordinance enacted in 1997, requires a list of 'designated projects',including major urban development and redevelopment projects, to conduct mandatory documentation and public consultation.
Since 2002, 'Sustainability Assessment' and 'Sustainability Implications' for major proposals is being required.
Major Designated Projects Requiring Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (Schedule 3 of the EIA Ordinance).
1. Engineering feasibility study of urban development projects with a study area covering more than 20ha or involving a total population of more than 100,000.
2. Engineering feasibility study of redevelopment projects with a study area covering more than 100,000 existing or new population.
Other Guidiance Documents used:
SEA reports in Hong Kong have to be mounted on the internet to enhance public consultation and review.
Scoping: At the initial stage of the SEA process, the EPD would work closely with project proponents to draft a study brief for each SEA which would include the terms of references, the scope, the approach,and other guidiance for proponents to conduct the SEA study.
SEA Case Studies
A. Hong Kong 2030(HK2030):Planning Vision and Strategy (on-going). (http://www.info.gov.hk/hk2030/hk2030content/news/cover.htm)
- The Territorial Development Strategy which was conducted in 1996 is to be reviewed and updated.
- Planning objectives: To provide a good quality living environment by appying the principle of sustainable development.
- The SEA will address issues such as:
- environmental problems;
- environmental capital and budget for use as a basis among other factors,for deriving
development options;
- environmental carrying capacity and the demand that would be generated from the
future developments;
- Likely influence of the Pearl River Delta on Hong Kong's environmental conditions.
The HK 2030 has adopted a proactive approach to consult and involve the public throughout the entire process of the study.
Stages of Consultation:
Stage 1 - Agenda setting, Baseline review and identification of key issues.
Stage 1 - Examination of key issues.
Stage 3 - Formulation and evaluation of scenerios and options.
Stage 4 - Formulation of development strategies and reponse plans.
B. Extension of existing Landfills and identification of Potential New Waste Disposal- 2003
(http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/eia_planning/sea/waste_disposal_sites.htm)
This involved an investigation to identify new landfill sites and extension of landfills.The SEA process avoided a number of environmentally sensitive sites and identified difficult ecological problems. These were ruled out during the site selection process. The SEA formed an integral part of an evolving waste management strategy for Hong Kong.
The South Cheung Chau was identified as the environmentally prferable site, which is within the current dumping.
Major Issues
Lack of knowledge and experience by consultants;
Lack of win-win development alternatives;
Need for comprehensive and reliable environmental information of proposals and alternatives;
Gaps in baseline data;
Lack of early public consultation on major issues.
Further reading
"Latest Strategic Environmental Assessment Experiences in Hong Kong" and "Bridging the gap between EIA and environmental sustainibility-Issues and Challenges for Hong Kong and Asia", Elvis Au and Victor Yeung, April 1998.
"Strategic Environmental Assessment and Spatial Planning in Hong Kong Special Administration Region", Elvis Au, April 1998.
Web site of the Environmental Protection Department of the Government of Hong Kong : http://www.info.gov.hk/epd
Environmental Protection in Hong Kong:http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/ehk99/home/english/content.htm
Website of the Department of Transport in Hong Kong:http://www.info.gov.hk/td/eng/sitemap/sitemap_index.html
Environmental protection in Hong Kong available at http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/enk99/home/english/content.htm
Therivel, R. 2004. Strategic Environmental Assessment in Action. UK and USA: EarthScan.
