Mai Po Marshes

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• Mai Po Marshes
• From Development Threat to Investment in Natural
  Capital

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Environmental Impact Case Study

• Understand the powerful impact of government
  regulations on business
• The conflicts of interest and the political
  process of regulation creation and enforcement
• Profound social shifts in attitude that change
  how business can be carried out
• EIA, Town Planning boards, Government long term
  planning
• Linkage to technological infrastructure and
  land-use planning

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Mai Po Case Study Overview

• Ecological importance
• Impact of international convention
• Sustainable agricultural system
• Clash with Hong Kongs conventional development
• Role of Town Planning Boards EIA
• Response of companies

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Ramsar Site

• Location
• Zoning
• Land uses
• Land pressures

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Ramsar Site

• Wetland of International Importance' under the
  Ramsar Convention (120 countries, 900 wetlands)
• International convention signed by Britain and
  China and extended to Hong Kong in 1979
• Hong Kong has international obligation to protect
  its valuable wetlands
• 1,500 hectares in Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay, 423
  million over five years for land clearance,
  education and conservation management

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Why Mai Po Qualifies as a Ramsar Site

• The stand of mangrove forest round Deep Bay/Mai
  Po is the sixth largest remaining along the coast
  of China, and the reedbed is one of the largest
  in Guangdong Province
• 12 endangered waterbirds species occur in Mai Po.
  In addition, over 20 species of invertebrates new
  to science have been found there.
• Mai Po regularly holds over 20,000 wintering
  waterbirds. In January, 1996 over 68,000
  waterbirds were recorded in the Mai Po/Deep Bay
  wetlands.
• Mai Po holds over 1 of the individuals in the
  population of 11 species of waterbirds. In
  particular about 23 of the world population of
  the Black-faced Spoonbill, Platalea minor,
  winters at Mai Po.

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Mai Po Ecology
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Mai Po Ecology

• Migration and endangered species
• Natural and human made feeding areas
• Mangrove forests and reed beds
• Ecosystem services

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Gei Weis traditional sustainable agriculture

• Mainly shrimp, but also fish, oysters, algae and
  brackish water sedges
• stocked by flushing in of young shrimps from Deep
  Bay
• shrimps feed on naturally occurring organic
  matter, e.g. dead mangrove leaves
• As a result, fishermen protected the stands of
  mangroves as food for the shrimps and fish

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Stakeholders Conflicts of Interest

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Sung Hung Kai from container terminal to
investment in natural capital

• Lok Ma Chau container terminal plans
• Land assembly
• Town Planning Board rezoning
• Residential development/Wetlands trust
  alternative
• 1st EIA application
• Second EIA application

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Boundary of site (in red) within wetlands of
North West New Territories
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Aerial View of Site
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Aerial view looking west to Mai Po
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TPB Requirements

• Commit to wetland conservation zoning
• 12 month Ecological Impact Assessment (EcoIA)
• Reduce the size of development
• Prevent additional pollution into Deep Bay
• Private-Public Partnership

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SHKs Response

• Reduce area, development size, and building
  height
• Reconfigure development (consolidation of wetland
  and development)
• Reduce transport and sewage burdens
• Design San Tin Wetland Trust (Ecological Reserve
  Trust) as basis of private-public partnership

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Changes from 1st to 2nd Proposals

• 1,955,240 m2
• 90,701 m2 (5)
• 57
• 7,280
• 15,819
• 8-20

• Overall site area
• 1,572,153 m2
• Buildable area in CA
• 194,000 m2 (13.7)
• Number of blocks
• 93
• Number of units (avg. 67.5 m2)
• 11,664
• Design Population
• 31,500
• Block height (stories)
• 6-30

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1st Rezoning Proposal
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2nd Rezoning Proposal
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Relocation of Development Land
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SHKs Private-Public Partnership

• No-net-loss principal
• Land reallocation and remediation
• Bund removal and island creation
• Site management and funding
• Fish farmer cooperation

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Open Storage Area
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Bunds and Nullah
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Benefits to SHK

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Proposed Development
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Buffers on Development Border
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Location of Green Buffers And Bird Watching Hides
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EIA References

• EPD Environmental Impact Ordinance at
  http//www.info.gov.hk/epd/eam/index.htm
• Chapter 3 Environmental Impact Assessment in
  Welford, Richard and Gouldson, Andrew 1993.
  Environmental Management and Business Strategy.
  London Pitman Publishing.
• Chapter 6 Environmental Assessment, auditing and
  information systems, in Roberts, Peter 1995.
  Environmentally Sustainable Business. London
  Paul Chapman Publishing.

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Environmental Impact Case Study

• What is threatened in the area being developed?
• According to EIA regulations how should (was)
  development controlled in the area? Has it been
  done?
• How does the EIA ensure that the ecology of the
  site and the threats to it are understood?
• Who are the stakeholders and what are their
  interests?
• Where does control and power reside?
• What is the likely result of the conflict of
  interest?