Kau Yi Chau Islands Reclamation aka Lantau Tomorrow Vision utterly unsustainable

The project that started as East Lantau Metropolis, became Lantau Tomorrow Vision, and now called Kau Yi Chau Islands Reclamation could be the most disastrous infrastructure project in Hong Kong’s history – costing huge sums of money, unsustainable, and ultimately unable to realise any of the vaunted aims of creating a business district and a good place to live.

I’ve done a quite lengthy post on this site, with email correspondence between me and Sustainable Lantau Office: Questions about Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands project off east Lantau Hong Kong. Here, mentioned some of the issues with the project, including the massive cost, vulnerability to storm surges, diverting resources from where they could be better use, HK economy doing badly now etc… In short, about the hubris involved; seems like a fantasy really.

Here, I’ll post a few snippets of articles etc indicating the project is utterly unsustainable.

“Incalculable” Economic Impacts

For more on issues with this project, maybe see, for instance:

A massive development project off Lantau Island could have “incalculable” ecological impacts, a Hong Kong research group has said after the estimated price tag for the proposed artificial islands ballooned to HK$580 billion.

Consequences of the development of the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands could include coastal erosion and the destruction of marine habitats, Liber Research Community said

Proposed Lantau artificial islands project slammed for HK$580 billion price tag, local transport needs

Huge Cost, a Disaster in the Making

From a letter to the South China Morning Post:

The capital requirement of HK$580 billion (US$74 billion) is based on 2022 third-quarter costs. By the time construction begins in 2025 and assuming construction spans 20 years, the money-of-the-day value that must be set aside may approach HK$1 trillion, accounting for inflation between now and 2025 and during the 20-year implementation period.

…

It is a disaster in the making and will end badly for Hong Kong.

Tom Yam; From Lantau Tomorrow Vision to Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands: name change has not made the reclamation plan more rigorous