Although about 40% of land lies within protected area systems in Hong Kong, a number of terrestrial biodiversity hotspots, particularly those on the private land, receive little or no protection. In 2004, the Government announced the New Conservation Policy, attempting to enhance conservation of ecologically important private lands but the feasibility and sustainability of those measures remain to be tested.
WWF advocates the Government to adopt a holistic conservation policy, to be in place by 2011. We also continue our efforts in scrutinizing development projects in ecological sensitive areas so as to avoid, minimise and mitigate anthropogenic impacts. The work carried out by WWF Hong Kong for decades in relation to this area has achieved considerable success.
WWF scrutinized 40 development projects proposed to the Government between 2006 July and 2007 July and has exerted noticeable third-party influence over conservation concerns in the Government¡¦s process of approving or rejecting such development projects. A number of approved development projects have adopted recommendations made by WWF. |
