Management of Limited Water Resources in Hong Kong

The topography of Hong Kong is very complex and there are no major rivers or natural lakes in the territory. The rapid increase in population—mainly caused by the influx of immigrants from across the border—and the territory's rapid economic strides have led to an ever increasing demand for water. As such, water rationing is a recurrent problem which causes many economic as well as sanitary risks. This paper summarises the basic hydrological features of the territory and highlights the various approaches adopted to minimize the damages due to the limitation of water resources in Hong Kong.