Thomas Tang

The View | Four reasons Hong Kong businesses should be taking more interest in local bogs and birds

Thomas Tang says apart from helping prevent climate change, wetlands can inspire product innovation, are repositories of rare plant species that could have commercial applications and offer business executives space to unwind

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Nature lovers experience the wonder of wetlands at the Mai Po nature reserve. Photo: Edward Wong

Thomas Tang

Published: 2:00pm, 14 Feb 2019Updated: 2:04pm, 14 Feb 2019

World Wetlands Day was celebrated earlier this month. However, not many people in Hong Kong realise that wetlands, freshwater or inter-tidal, cover about 5 per cent of our land area. Our Mai Po marshes and Inner Deep Bay area are listed as a Ramsar Site, a wetland of international importance, and are located on the fringe of the Indo-Burma Hotspot, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.

But urbanisation and unsustainable consumption are affecting the delicate relationship between human beings and the environment. Our compact city is characterised by densely built-up areas. Fortunately, though, 40 per cent of our terrain is reserved for country park use and the government has spelled out the direction of the city’s conservation efforts in a Biodiversity and Sustainability Action Plan.

Businesses can play a role in protecting Hong Kong’s biodiversity. Studies worldwide have highlighted the economic value of preserving natural resources, from local livelihood support to tourism income. But the intrinsic benefit lies in “shared value”, a business concept coined by Michael Porter and Mark Kramer of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School. They propose that a company’s competitiveness and the health of the communities and natural environment around it are mutually dependent.

At first glance, there may not seem to be any connection between wetlands and businesses. However, there are four reasons businesses should be taking an interest in Hong Kong’s marshes.

Black-faced spoonbills feed at a fish pond at Mai Po nature reserve. Photo: Tse Wai-lun/HKBWS

First, wetlands are an important factor in mitigating climate change. Trees and vegetation capture carbon dioxide and the root networks in wetlands stabilise the soil structure while absorbing water and acting as a means of flood control. Coastal wetlands are an important protection against extreme weather events such as typhoons.