1 Hong Kong' Landscape-A Living Resource

1 HONG KONG'S LANDSCAPE – A LIVING RESOURCE

1.1 THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE HONG KONG LANDSCAPE

1.1.1 Landscape is a vital part of our environment and is one of the most important components of our quality of life. Hong Kong is blessed with a variety of different landscape. This landscape includes some of the most spectacular urban scenery in the world, lying only minutes away from tranquil rural countryside.

1.1.2 This landscape is one of Hong Kong's precious assets and fulfils many roles:

it contributes to the well-being of the population by providing a recreational and aesthetic resource;

it helps to define the identity of Hong Kong for both residents and visitors alike and make it the unique place that it is;

it is a natural resource which forms an integral part of our environmental assets; and

it is an expression of Hong Kong's heritage and its residents' interaction with the environment over thousands of years. The landscape can therefore be said to be part of Hong Kong's cultural assets.

Poi Toi O, Sai Kung

1.2 THE NEED FOR A SURVEY OF THE LANDSCAPE OF HONG KONG

"Look at a landscape, understand the rhythms that have brought it there, understand how our rhythms will affect it and from that we can get change, we can get development, we can get growth, that is in keeping with that landscape and we stop trying to hold them as they have never been" (Overtaking Landscape in the Fast Lane, Andrew Groft)

1.2.1 Just as everywhere else in the world, Hong Kong's landscapes are continuously changing as they evolve to meet the needs of the community. In order to manage this change, it is vital that we understand the range and value of the different landscapes that we have and also the ways in which they are changing. By understanding what landscapes Hong Kong possesses, future Government policy can continue to provide Hong Kong with a landscape that everyone can enjoy.

1.2.2 The Metroplan Landscape Strategy for the Urban Fringe and Coastal Areas (1989) was an early attempt to analyse the landscape character of the metropolitan area. Area specific and project-based landscape assessments have also, from time to time, been undertaken in connection with individual studies or development projects. However, these studies or assessments
are generally conducted for a specific purpose and only at a local scale.

1.2.3 The absence of a comprehensive survey of Hong Kong's landscape was also pinpointed by the Study on Sustainable Development for the 21st Century (2001). Without knowing baseline landscape conditions, the study could not establish an Indicator against which landscape change could be monitored in assessing the sustainability of proposed development. The study recommended that a landscape baseline study be carried out to fill this information gap.

1.2.4 It was for the above reasons that in late 2001, this Study was commissioned to map and evaluate the landscape of Hong Kong. The Study aimed to establish the essential baseline information that would provide a systematic reference framework to facilitate landscape assessment and broad environmental assessment of major projects.

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

1.3 THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY

1.3.1 For the purposes of the Study, the term 'landscape' has been defined as 'the appearance of land and the natural and man-made features on it'. These natural features include geology, topography, vegetation and hydrology. The man-made features include buildings, roads, reservoirs and agricultural fields.

1.3.2 The main objectives of the Study are to:

fill the gap in existing information and aggregate all available information, for a better understanding of the landscape resources in Hong Kong;

establish the baseline conditions of existing landscape resources as a benchmark against which future changes can be assessed;

establish a systematic classification system for landscape resources and identify specific landscape types and areas;

establish consistent evaluative criteria which will allow measurement and evaluation of the importance of landscape types and areas; and

recommend a suitable Indicator for broad landscape impact assessment of major development projects, which can be incorporated in the sustainability evaluation process.

1.3.3 The Study covers the entire area of Hong Kong. As well as rural landscapes or countryside, it also addresses 'landscape' in the widest possible sense and includes the landscapes of urban areas and the coastal landscapes of Hong Kong's waters.

1.3.4 The Study classifies landscapes into different types and appraises their value. The study method has been derived from a review of best practice worldwide and in particular from six case studies in England, Wales, the USA, New Zealand and Indonesia.

1.3.5 The main outputs of the Study are a Landscape Character Map showing the location of the different types of landscape in Hong Kong, together with a database containing information on each area of landscape (including an assessment of its value). The map data were collected by extensive desktop research and field survey, and stored in a computer based geographical information system (GIS).

Ling Fung Stream, Lantau Island

1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.4.1 The first part of this Executive Summary (Sections 2-4) provides a brief overview of the main findings of the Study. The second part of the report (Section 5) records more detailed technical information on the study process and methodology. Finally, the report (Sections 6-7) concludes by suggesting some general applications of the study findings and proposing further enhancements.

1.4.2 As this report provides only a summary of a fairly complex study, readers requiring further technical details on the study process and findings may wish to refer to Technical Reports 1 to 5 as well as to the Final Report.