Opinion | Island of fear: massive reclamation off Lantau would be a disaster in age of climate change and sea-level rises

Lam Chiu Ying says even without considering the flooding risks of this proposition, the questionable population projection and mind-boggling costs of the construction alone should deter Hong Kong from making this unnecessary mistake

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Published: 4:00pm, 5 Oct 2018Updated: 4:58pm, 5 Oct 2018

The Task Force on Land Supply, a team appointed by the Hong Kong government to spearhead the city’s desperate search for land, lists a 1,000-hectare artificial island east of Lantau as a land option, housing up to 700,000 people. Our Hong Kong Foundation has lately advocated even more grandiose figures of 2,200 hectares and 1.1 million people, as if they constitute the panacea for all of Hong Kong problems, housing included.

But it will take more than a decade to get an island-town built. The wait is far too long for those living in tiny, stuffy subdivided flats. We must not let the island idea distract us from our effort to house the poor in the near term.

More importantly, two other questions must be answered. First, is an artificial island really the answer to Hong Kong’s housing woes?

Second, in this age of climate change and rising sea levels, is it wise to create an island through large-scale reclamation? Settling one million people on an artificial island exposed to the elements is a serious government responsibility. Furthermore, families who spend their life savings to buy a private flat expect their property to be protected so it could be handed down to future generations.

The government has a duty to protect both lives and property. As a matter of due diligence, it must look far ahead into the future and thoroughly examine all possible scenarios that are potentially hazardous to life and detrimental to the asset value of properties. Any decision must not be rushed.