Contact  
Norman Cheng
Chairman 
CIWEM Hong Kong
P.O. Box 4258
General Post Office
Hong Kong

Click here for the list of Branch Committee members

Click here for the Area of Expertise of Local CIWEM Members 

News  

Click here to see CIWEM HK Annual Report 2007 - 2008
Click here to see the new Chairman's address at the 2008 Annual General Meeting

Click here to see Governance Review Comments from CIWEM HK
Click here to see the response letter from the President

Click here to read the April 2008 newsletter from CIWEM Hong Kong
Click here to read the January 2008 newsletter from CIWEM Hong Kong
Click here to read the September 2007 newsletter from CIWEM Hong Kong

Click here to see the upcoming events
Click here to see a list of Hong Kong Branch supported events
Click here to see responses to Government's Consultations
Click here to see reports on CIWEM Hong Kong past events
Click here to see the results of the 2007 CIWEM HK Photographer Award

Photographs

Click here to see the photos of CIWEM HK Branch events (Link to external website.)

About CIWEM Hong Kong

As the only CIWEM Branch in Asia, differences in economy, climate and culture make the Hong Kong Branch quite unique when compared to other CIWEM Branches across northern Europe. Hong Kong's rapid rate of development combined with a high population density in a relatively small area of readily developable land, present quite different challenges to professionals engaged in managing water resources and the natural environment.

The intensively developed urban environment raises a range of issues for Hong Kong's environmental scientists and engineers including those associated with air quality, noise, water quality as well as waste management and disposal. Despite the pressures put upon it, Hong Kong enjoys a wealth of scenic natural countryside. Surprisingly, over 40% of the total land area is designated as Country Park to protect important wildlife habitats. Hong Kong also boasts an internationally protected wetland - Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site - which includes 1500 ha of mangrove, mudflat and fishponds, protected due to their importance to a number of bird species including the internationally rare, Black-faced Spoonbill. These areas are however in very close proximity to a city of some six million people and the challenges of developing in a sustainable manner are therefore extremely large.

Given its coastal location, the surrounding marine environment is also of major importance to Hong Kong. As well as receiving waters for waste water discharges, the marine environment has also been impacted through dredging for marine fill and mud dumping to facilitate its rapid infrastructure growth. These activities need to be carefully managed to ensure protection of the water quality, marine ecology and fisheries in the area.

The principal challenge for CIWEM members in Hong Kong is to enhance and develop the built environment in a sustainable manner. The issues generated in such a contrasting and constricted area as Hong Kong provide a great need for open debate and sharing of knowledge and best practice. CIWEM Hong Kong Branch focuses on the environmental issues that concern the people of the territory and the surrounding provinces of southern China in the Pearl River Delta and provides a forum for lively discussion and debate.

The main function of the Hong Kong Branch is to organise a programme of events at a local level on subjects relevant to its branch membership. Most meetings start at five thirty with some light refreshments and then a presentation, followed by questions and debate. We normally finish by around seven thirty. Thanks to sponsorship from regional employers, there is no charge for the evening technical meetings. We normally arrange one major conference every two years, a range of smaller workshops on topical issues, a graduate student paper competition, and a social event in the spring.

Full details of each meeting are sent to Branch members two to four weeks in advance. Visitors and guests are welcome and committee members will be pleased to provide information about how to join CIWEM.

We collaborate with a number of other professional bodies and organise joint events where appropriate.

Please contact Mr. Norman Cheng (norman.cheng@veoliawater.com.hk) if  you have any queries or suggestions about future events.