Letters | Don’t let Hong Kong end up paying a heavy price for cheap water

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Pipes in Sheung Shui, part of Hong Kong’s network to supply water from Guangdong. Photo: Edward Wong

Published: 8:00am, 28 Mar 2020Updated: 8:00am, 28 Mar 2020

March 22 was World Water Day, with this year’s theme highlighting the intricate link between water and climate change. Longer hot seasons, more intense rainstorms, rising sea levels, and the increasing threat of storm surges from extreme weather events, climate change exacerbates many water threats to Hong Kong. But water security is a key issue that is often understated outside of the Water Supplies Department.

Despite being surrounded by water, Hong Kong is starved for freshwater, lacking access to natural resources like lakes, rivers and groundwater. Although the city receives a fair amount of rain, the yield is insufficient and too variable to meet current demands.

The older generations may remember that, until 1982, the city used to ration water. Today, 70-80 per cent of our freshwater supply comes from the Dongjiang in mainland China. We are able to let our taps flow freely due to this imported resource, but it should not be taken for granted.

Dongjiang provides freshwater not just for Hong Kong, but also Heyuan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen and Guangzhou – with all but Guangzhou being mostly dependent on Dongjiang for their water supply. The central government plan to develop the Greater Bay Area into an industrial powerhouse will further increase water consumption.

With climate change, the already stressed Dongjiang will be under even greater pressure. Seasonal fluctuations in the rainfall feeding the river will become more pronounced, making dry seasons dryer and wet seasons wetter. Saltwater intrusion as a result of sea level rise might also contaminate the water supply. Hong Kong’s freshwater supply is supposedly guaranteed under the agreement with Guangdong, but there is no promise it will not be restricted when other cities are in greater need.

We must supplement this increasingly vulnerable resource and secure the city’s future water security.