Category News and Views

Where have all the Hong Kong Barn Swallows gone?

I live on Cheung Chau, a small island in southwest Hong Kong – and became very used to it hosting many nesting pairs of Barn Swallows, which start arriving around mid-February, and stay till late summer. Been this way since…

Alarming silting of Deep Bay mudflats by early 2000s

Last decade, the future looked bright for the Deep Bay wetland, in northwest Hong Kong. [I wrote this for the South China Morning Post in late 2004; it seems the mudflat level has about stabilised since, but still with issues including…

Mai Po Marshes Upgrade Project: Big Money, Few Visitors

There is a Mai Po upgrade project underway [spring 2023], funded by a HK$347.86 million grant from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. This seems a substantial sum, especially as it is for infrastructure only, and chiefly a new visitor…

Climate Change and Hong Kong Ecology

With climate changing, there are changes underway, including in Hong Kong’s ecosystems, that indicate there is an urgent need for action.    

As World Warms Hong Kong Remains Climate Unready

So here we are. The heating is on. No longer are we at a stage of predicting global warming may occur, with experts cautiously saying this or that weather event just might be attributable to climate change, in turn due…

Fewer Ferries, More Dolphins Near Southwest Lantau

WWF calls for urgent ferry traffic mitigation measures before cross-border traffic resumes Hong Kong, 21 July 2022 – Acoustic and visual monitoring conducted by WWF-Hong Kong (WWF) has revealed dramatic increases in Chinese white dolphin occurrences and more diverse dolphin behaviours since…

Typhoon Chaba set for landfall west of Hong Kong

Chaba has recently intensified to typhoon strength. Has a large eye on radar images, with rainbands across wide area – inc passing over Hong Kong (though rain here not so intense just now). The track is not as much to…

Severe Tropical Storm Chaba Nearing Hong Kong

The tropical cyclone now named Chaba has intensified to Severe Tropical Storm strength – intensifying rather more and faster than forecast; perhaps another storm development influenced by climate change. Looks set to make landfall as a typhoon; and T8 signal…

Maybe Stormy Weather for Hong Kong as July 2022 Begins

In past few days, computer forecast models have indicated a chance of stormy weather developing over the South China Sea near Hong Kong at the beginning of July. Updating on evening of 29 June. The T1 signal is in effect,…

AFCD launches Hong Kong Biodiversity Information Hub

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) launched the Hong Kong Biodiversity Information Hub (HKBIH) (bih.gov.hk) today (1 March 2022) aiming to foster a better understanding of local biodiversity by members of the public. The HKBIH is a one-stop website…

LNG Terminal

Stephen IP GBS JP,Secretary for Economic Developmentand Labour Bureau,   RE: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Receiving Terminal and AssociatedFacilities   As part of the PublicConsultation towards the aforementioned project, I would be grateful if theGovernment would for the record consider my…

Bad Science and Hong Kong’ Rubbish Strategy

There has been considerable brouhaha over Hong Kong’s waste strategy, especially plans to expand three landfills plus build an incinerator on an artificial island by Shek Kwu Chau – which passed two votes in the Legislative Council, but were then…

Cape Town could teach Hong Kong about tourism

cape town

I’m fascinated to look around Cape Town, partly as I’ve found it mentioned in a report on cities and biodiversity, according to which ecotourism is among the significant benefits Cape Town derives from the natural environment.

Typhoon Haiyan Lessons for Hong Kong

Typhoon Haiyan was among the strongest storms on record, and devastated a swathe of the Philippines. A storm surge was most damaging; and surges have hit Hong Kong.