Water Scarcity Hong Kong Essay

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In this essay I will assess the extent Hong Kong will be affected by global water scarcity in the near future and make a comparison of the risk of water scarcity in Hong Kong to other major international cities. I will analyse the origins of water scarcity. I will explain the concept of water scarcity from three perspectives: personal, local and global.

Water scarcity is defined by The Agricultural Carbon Market Working Group as when there are below onethousand million cubic metres of water available per individual being annually. Absolute water scarcity is defined as when there are below fivehundred cubic metres of water per individual being annually. According to the Water Supplies Department, in the 1960s and 1970s, the population growth, industrial development, and improvement of living standards saw Hong Kong’s water demand increase dramatically. To conquer the water shortage, desalination of seawater was used to satisfy the needs of the Hong Kong people. Hong Kong is currently without underground water, with no greatly sized lakes and rivers. Seventy percent of Hong Kong’s water supply relies currently on import from Guangdong. As it relies mostly on a location beyond itself, Hong Kong is with potential risk of water scarcity. The government provides a huge water subsidy. …show more content…

However it is unfortunate that we rely mainly not on our own supplies for water. China, which Guangdong is part of, is prone to droughts, as is California. This signifies a great potential risk to water scarcity as Guangdong is an unstable supply source to rely so heavily upon. I agree with the Professor that the subsidy should be lessened, and also that Hong Kong citizens must be educated so that they are aware of the current situation.
In the United States, their government may invest in aiding and renew their water infrastructure by taking advantage of their great land

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