Abstract

Guangdong's industrialization and urbanization--driven largely by Hong Kong capital--has had a significant impact on the environment of the whole Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Besides choking air pollution in the PRD, other major environmental problems are emerging around water quality and water quantity of major rivers draining into the Delta region. The region, once considered relatively well-endowed with water resources, has, in recent years, begun to face the dual challenge of water pollution and water shortage. Increasing competition for water by jurisdictions dependent on the Dongjiang (East River) for their municipal water supply has led the Guangdong Provincial authorities to consider, in late 2007 and for the first time, the introduction of a water allocation plan for the river basin. At this seminar, Yok-Shiu Lee and Carlos Wing-Hung Lo will discuss, from Hong Kong's perspective, efforts to address cross-border environmental protection issues. They will highlight proactive steps the Hong Kong government could take in contributing to a region-wide policy regime to help manage regional environmental resources, including drinking water resources, under the rubric of sustainable development. Specifically they will focus on the Dongjiang water resource management to address the cross-jurisdiction issue. Regional cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong notably represents a potential model for environmental collaboration in other regions of China.