Protecting biodiversity should involve all Hong Kong people
Submitted by Martin Williams on 11 November 2013 - 8:13pmIsn’t it okay to leave biodiversity to besuited conference attendees, and greenies who are overly fond of frogs?
Isn’t it okay to leave biodiversity to besuited conference attendees, and greenies who are overly fond of frogs?
A government plan to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity could offer the last best hope for Hong Kong's wildlife.
Email I've just sent, hopefully will be circulated to various people working outside govt on the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Hong Kong:
During a non-governmental meeting on communications/education related to the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, there was some agreement that it will be useful - and important - to work on marketing biodiversity and the strategy in Hong Kong.
Not "empty" marketing, but with slogans etc that help to get the messages across to non-experts.
Easier said than done!
Hong Kong is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Article 8 (In-situ Conservation), Para (k) of the Convention states Contracting Parties shall:
“Develop or maintain necessary legislation and/or other regulatory provisions for the protection of threatened species and populations”.
Case study - A threatened species in Hong Kong which cannot be protected
Human induced climate change could have a massive impact on biodiversity worldwide - including Hong Kong, where impacts are perhaps already evident.
But is it even happening? Following is email exchange in loosely gathered working group on Biodiv Strategy and Action Plan for Hong Kong.
A China Daily article published in January 2013 looked at Hong Kong conservation and the biodiversity plan, through a visit to Nam Sang Wai in the Deep Bay wetland.
Includes:
Conflicts between development projects and environmentalists seem to be escalating in Hong Kong. The government is working on plans to resolve tensions and protect biodiversity.
...The Nam Sang Wai project is just one of a growing number of environmental flashpoints between developers and green groups.
Though Hong Kong is not a country, it became a party to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in 2011, and the government is now developing a biodiversity plan [with ugly acronym of BSAP] under obligations to the convention.
Here are answers I've provided to some questions on Hong Kong's biodiversity, following a request from Civic Exchange - which in turn is responding to Hong Kong being about to sign the Convention on Biodiversity.