Wetland management and development in a changing world: the Hong Kong perspective

Abstract

Wetlands are vulnerable to human impacts. Rapid increase in human population and economic development since the last century are the main driving forces of biophysical changes including habitat conversion, fragmentation and destruction, pollution, hydrological changes, the spread of invasive alien species, biodiversity loss, and global climate change. These changes pose new and additional threats such as global warming and sea level rise to the already fragmented wetlands worldwide. New paradigms in the management and development of wetland for conservation have been developed in the international world to address global change. Wetland conservation in Hong Kong was evaluated against these new initiatives. The result shows that Hong Kong is keeping pace with the development in wetland conservation in the international world in many aspects except in the capacity building of both institutions and individuals involved in wetland conservation. The active role played by environmental NGOs is particularly important. However, the lack of response in assessing the impact of climate change on its ecosystem especially wetland is unsatisfactory. As a world city with a small land area, high population density and rich biodiversity, wetland conservation in Hong Kong is very challenging. The successful and unsuccessful experiences of wetland management and development in Hong Kong may provide some insights for wetland conservation in other parts of Asia where natural habitats are increasingly fragmented and isolated in the human dominated landscape.