On a sparkling Hong Kong spring morning, I was on a boat with a group of people busily scanning the water off Tai O. With the dramatic Lantau hills in the background; it was Hong Kong at its best. A city whose sprawl is jammed between the mountains and the sea, where in less than 30 minutes, you can go from the fanciest restaurant in town to climbing a steep mountain trail.

We were on a trip organized by Hong Kong DolphinWatch, which runs eco-boat trips to see wild Chinese White Dolphins. Bennie of DolphinWatch, remarked to me, “We always believe that the more people know about and have seen the dolphins, the better.”

The dolphins, a humpback dolphin species and known locally for their signature pink coloring, inhabit the Pearl River Estuary and are often seen in the waters off Tai O. First recorded locally in the 1600s, they became the 1997 handover mascot, but as numbers dwindled, are now listed as “vulnerable”.

Tourists are noticeably starting to return now — visitor arrivals in March reached almost 2.5 million, a 68 percent increase from the previous month — and these types of outings are the little gems that defy the stereotype of skyscrapers and crowded city living. But as we start to see the global impact of climate change in ever-starker and more-shocking ways, we need to work harder than ever to protect these gems.

As waterways become busier and increasingly polluted, a growing number of Hong Kong’s marine species have seen their populations diminishing: A report by the Hong Kong Cetacean Research Project reveals the 2021 dolphin encounter rate was the lowest it had been in the past 15 years. And while dolphins are just one part of Hong Kong’s diverse sea life, these numbers are undoubtedly an omen of broader problems. We should not ignore this unmistakable warning that we need a concerted, government-led approach to proactively protect this and other natural treasures of Hong Kong before it’s too late.

The good news is that sustainability, carbon neutrality, and nature conservation have all moved up government agendas under this new administration, with China now aiming to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. ESG (environmental, social, and governance) is the new corporate watchword, and China, in particular, has seen a huge rise in renewable-energy production and green-technology development. Promoting environmental awareness has become much more ingrained. But the evidence shows more needs to be done. Bennie from Dolphin Watch adds: “One thing is true: Leave nature alone, and it will thrive. But it’s impossible here, for now. Boat traffic and water pollution are a huge problem.”

Hong Kong’s natural beauty is spectacular, but if you look a little closer, the flaws in the system are there: The trash left strewn by the side of hiking trails, rubbish floating in the sea, or simply the days of smog that hang in the air.

We need action now, a shift in habits and attitudes across all sections of society and industry, with the government taking the lead and putting in place solid policies to protect our “invaluable assets” before it’s too late

I recently listened to Cathy Cole and Charmian Woodhouse describing their journey circumnavigating Lantau’s coastline: Coasteering and wild swimming. Their talk highlighted the island’s diversity, history, and beauty. But there were slightly depressing parts, too: Styrofoam stuck in the trees; ocean-going rubbish and plastics washed up on beaches; and even chunks of raw meat, discarded by smugglers, floating in the sea.

As Hong Kong’s largest island, Lantau is home not just to pink dolphins and fishing villages but also the airport, Hong Kong Disneyland, the new town of Tung Chung, and the Big Buddha. Over 70 percent of the island is still undeveloped with hugely diverse flora and fauna, but this sits alongside key infrastructure, new housing developments, and large road links. And this is the crux of the problem: There is a need for both. Housing, transport links and tourist sites are vital to support a growing city, but we must also preserve the natural environment. As the World Wide Fund for Nature has said, “Bold and ambitious actions must be adopted to transform Hong Kong into Asia’s most sustainable city.” 

And that moniker fits the ideal of a post-pandemic “green recovery”. The Chinese government last year released a road map for marine ecological and environmental protection work, including: “Strengthening precise pollution control focusing on coastal bays and estuaries”. This sits alongside the report by General Secretary Xi Jinping to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China highlighting “the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” and “stronger ecological conservation and environmental protection across the board, in all regions, and at all times”. The priorities have been set out, and they’re important because, ultimately, our resources and economies will be the ones to suffer unless action is taken to turn these goals into reality.

In March, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan emphasized, “The government attaches great importance to protecting Hong Kong’s precious natural ecology.” At the same time, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho stressed that the intention is to promote the sustainable development of Lantau. Meanwhile, the Ecological Environment Bureau of Shenzhen aims to: “Boost the construction of an ecological civilization in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”. This sounds positive, but currently, only 5 percent of Hong Kong’s waters are protected. And with the UN Sustainability Development Goal target to conserve at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, we still have a way to go.

There are roughly 6,000 marine species in Hong Kong. As NGO Hong Kong CleanUp highlights, “while the SAR represents only 0.03 percent of China’s total marine area, Hong Kong is supporting 26 percent of all the marine species recorded in China”, a heavy national responsibility on Hong Kong to ensure their protection.

The resumption, in 2017, of the annual cross-harbor swim following a 40-year absence due to unacceptable water quality does indicate that things are going in the right direction. But, having participated in organized beach cleanups, while it’s heartwarming to see the community action — still, as wave upon wave brings in more plastic flotsam and discarded waste, the daunting magnitude of the task is clear if we are to nip the problem at the root as its source extends beyond our borders. We need action now, a shift in habits and attitudes across all sections of society and industry, with the government taking the lead and putting in place solid policies to protect our “invaluable assets” before it’s too late.

The author is a freelance journalist based in Hong Kong, after living and working in London for 17 years. She was born and raised in Hong Kong and has postgraduate degrees in Chinese studies and journalism.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.