The Young Reporter Vol 58 - Climate Change

THE YOUNG REPORTER VOLUME 58 JUNE 2023

CLIMATE CHANGE COV ER STO RY FAREWE LL TO TAI O

L ET T E R F RO M T HE E D I T O R Another chapter is finished again with the school year ending. This semester we focused more on climate change and how it affects the environment and humans.

In this issue, our reporters and editors cover various ways climate change has negatively impacted aquatic animals, such as dolphins and coral reefs, to how Hong Kong society organises beach clean-ups. We also cover how climate change can negatively impact industries and communities, especially for construction workers and elderly members more easily affected by the rising heat.

Of course, we covered how climate change affects the flora and fauna of Hong Kong, such as endangered species.

We, the editorial board, hope you enjoy this issue of The Young Reporter and sincerely wish everyone good health.

Sincerely, Chief Editor Aw Yong Ming Min

Editor-in-chief Reporters Editors Aw Yong Ming Min Anthony Ho Annie Cheung Editor-in-chief Reporters Emily Chan Editors Aw Yong Ming Min Aw Yong Ming Min Anthony Ho Deputy Editors Hayley Lei Annie Cheung Beata Mo Aw Yong Ming Min Edith Wang Beata Editors Mo Jemima Badajos Chloe Wong Deputy Beata Mo Emily Chan Beata WishaMo Limbu Junzhe Jiang Duhua Al-Zaldi Eric JiangKelly Chow Chloe Wong Wisha Limbu Grace Koo Art Directors Hayley Lei Marcus LumDuhua Al-Zaldi Nola Yip Art Directors Grace Koo Warren Leung Jemima Badajos Annie Cheung Mollie Hib Annie Cheung Kelly Chow Chloe Wong Nancy Li Nola Yip Chloe Wong Marcus Lum Advisors Nicole Chu Warren Leung Mollie Hib Advisors Rajnandini Pandey Jenny Lam Jenny Lam Nancy Li Renee Tsang Robin Ewing Robin Ewing Nicole Chu Tom Shuai Rajnandini PandeyCheung Publisher Winona Publisher Renee Tsang Steve Guo Wisha Limbu Sia Rui Yuhan Wang Printer Tom Shuai Printer Xiya Rui Win Fung Winona Cheung Production Production Limited Limited Wisha Limbu Printer Address Flat G, 13/F., Blk. 3, Golden Dragon Ind. Ctr., 172-180 Tai Lin Pai Rd., Kwan Chung, NT

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CONTENT C O N S T R U C T I O N 4-5

Climate change takes a toll on construction workers E L D E R LY

6-7

Elderly struggle to age with the extreme heat S U B D I V I D E D

8-10

F L AT

Sweltering summers challenge residents of “pigeon cages” as temperatures soar F L O O D I N G

11-13

Farewell to Tai O

14-15

P I N K D O L P H I N S Tai O’s dolphin-watching trips lose business as local marine mammals and tourists decline A G R I C U LT U R E

16-18

Farmers adopt survival measures amidst rising temperatures

PRINTED ISSUES PRINTED ISSUES

CLIMATE CHANGE TAKES A TOLL ON C Reported by Emily Chan and Marcus Lum Edited by Warren Leung

“I felt like an omelettle frying under the sun.” - Wong Ngai ditions

might

get

even

tougher.

Wong had to work in a two-metre wide space three metres underground.

The lack of ventilation or fans made the air thick and stifling while the sun was beating down on himrelentlessly.

Some could not bear the heat and chose to expose their amrs under the sweltering weather.

“Every time I go into an underground site, I immediately feel dizzy as the heat surrounds me,” said Wong.“ Lai Chun-Lok, 33, a surveyor who has worked in the construction industry for 13 years, said heat strokes are common on construction sites.

The hot and humid weather in Hong Kong has been worsening over the past decade due to climate change.

According to the Hong Kong Observatory, the total number of hot days has increased five times over the past two decades, reaching 55 days in 2022, and it is expected that this summer will get even hotter.

Outdoor workers bear the brunt of climate change. The number of heat stress related work injuries has increased by 75% since 2020, according to the Labour Department’s data.

W

ong Ngai, 49, a local construction worker has been on the job for six years and has got used to the physical demands and challenges of his work.

But when he was assigned to install street lights next to the airport, he realised his working con-

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According to the document from the Human Resource Committee of the Legislative Council, the Hong Kong government plans to launch a new heat index guideline, the HKHI, in order to protect people who have to work outdoors in the summer.

The heat index calculates temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Above a certain level, employers need to take measures such as providing more frequent break times.

The new guidelines suggest that

contractors should provide certain rest time according to the heat index.

For example, when the heat index reaches 32-33 degrees Celsius, people who work outdoors such as ironworkers should suspend their work.

If the heat index is equal to or higher than 34 degrees Celsius, both heavy-duty or extremely heavy-duty outdoor work should be suspended.

The document also states that if the employer or person in charge takes some preventive measures to reduce heat stress, the workers’ rest time can be correspondingly reduced.

Lam Chun-sing, 42, the Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labor Unions, is worried that employers may not follow the guidelines strictly.

“The guideline also states that

Workers taking a break outside a construction site.

C O N S T R U C T I O N

ON CONSTRUCTION WORKERS “While the current heat index is not bad, we can learn from Japan or the United States, where heat index instruments are installed at every worksite to provide more accurate readings of workers’ working conditions,” said Ng.

ai

e.

“It could get up tp 40 to 50 degrees Celsius on the rooftop. The iron is so hot that it will burn your skin if you touch it.” - Lai ChunLok if the employer has implemented other cooling measures, such as installing a ventilation system, the break time may be reduced even if the heat index

reach a certain level,” Lam said.

Ng Hon-Lam, a Project Director at Greenpeace, suggests the government adopt an alternative method by referencing other countries to measure the temperature of construction sites.

For example, in Japan, the “Prevention of Heat Stroke in the Workplace” specifies that the heat index must be measured in the workplace and use various preventive measures for heat stroke if it exceeds the standard values.

Ng added there are only two measuring sites for the heat index in Hong Kong, which are located at King’s Park in Yau Ma Tei and Beas River in Sheung Shui.

Workers have to wear long sleeves clothing to protect themselves from getting sunburnt.

The impact of heat on workers can vary greatly depending on where they work. For example, rooftop construction workers on Hong Kong Island or workers in narrow alleys may face higher heat stress levels than the Observatory’s measurements.

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ELDERLY STRUGGLE TO AGE WITH THE EXTREME HEAT Reported by Kelly Chow, Nancy Li and Jemima Badajos Edited by Nola Yip and Aw Youn Ming Min

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han Yin-chi, 77, lives alone in Kwai Hing. Every Tuesday, he visits the local community centre to dance with other elderly people.

She is health conscious and brews her red dates tea every morning.

The hot summer nights in Hong Kong though make it hard to sleep without an air conditioner, yet the damp cold air is a problem for Chan.

“The cold wind from the air conditioning during the night makes my muscles and bones ache,” she said.

“From here to here, there is pain in the whole body,” she said pointing at her shoulders and legs.

Over the past two decades, the number of days when the temperature in Hong Kong was more than 33°C in

a year has increased by 50%, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

Depending on how serious the greenhouse gas emissions are, the annual mean temperature of the city is expected to rise by as high as 1.7°C from 2041 to 2060.

Joey Ho Wai-yan, a registered Chinese medicine practitioner in Hong Kong, explained that elderly folks are particularly vulnerable to the effects of high temperatures.

Her clinic is often packed with people who suffered from heat stroke after staying outdoors for a long time.

“Elderly people are physically weaker, have lower energy, poorer perspiration and they have difficulty adjusting to air conditioning, which affects the balance

of their body temperature,” said Ho. “Even after seeking medical advice and taking antipyretic medication, the fever may still recur.”

Heat stroke is caused when the body temperature reaches 41°C or higher.

Symptoms include dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath and mental confusion, according to the Centre for Health Protection.

Ho explained that climate change is making Hong Kong becoming hotter and more humid from midspring to the end of summer. This makes it harder for the body to cool down, and thus damaging internal organs and leading to heat stroke.

Since most elderly people might have underlying illnesses, such as

A group of elderly people play Chinese chess in Tsuen Wan West Park, Hong Kong.

heart disease and high blood pressure, the extreme heat in summer could worsen their illnesses.

Chow Yuen-chuen, 72, said that when he goes from the hot outdoors to cold indoor areas such as shopping malls, the sudden temperature change gives him a runny nose.

“I always feel thirsty in the summer, so I must drink more water.

Otherwise, I would feel exhausted,” said Chow, who suffers from vascular occlusion.

Participants in a community dialogue held by CarbonCare InnoLab in 2021, said elderly people are impacted the most by the heat waves, but they get little support in finding relief.

“Elderly people who live alone or have

no strong ties with the community may not know how to reach out for help,” said Kwok Hiu-chung, a senior programme officer of CarbonCare InnoLab. The CarbonCare InnoLab implemented a programme last year to replace the lights in subdivided households with LED lights. This helps to lower the temperature. LED lights are also more durable and energy efficient.

air-conditioned because of poor air flow.

Kwok hoped the government could subsidise the electricity bills for some elderly people living alone.

“Elderly people may not even be aware that they have health problems. They just know they are uncomfortable and can’t concentrate well,” said Kwok.

Surviving the heat is also costly in other ways. Elderly people living in subdivided units tend not to turn on their air conditioners, because their landlords will charge them for the electricity bills.

As of 2022, there are more than 1.5 million elderly people aged 65 or above in Hong Kong. The number is expected to double over the next 20 years, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

Hong Kong’s ageing population problem will also likely get worse because the birth rate is falling at the same time.

During the hottest days of summer, the temperature in subdivided flats remains very hot even when the whole building is

“As I get older, my immune system becomes weaker. I am less able to adapt to changes in the environment,” said Chan.

E L D E R LY

7

SWELTERING SUMMERS CHALLENGE RESIDENTS OF “PIGEON CAGES” AS TEMPERATURES SOAR Reported by Nicole Chu and Tom Shuai Edited by Beata Mo

A

consecutive days in July last year, topping the annual record, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

design,”said Moon Chan, a Legislative Council member’s assistant, who specialises in land and housing issues.

Around noon, Xia Renhui 52, who has been living in this subdivided flat in Tsuen Wan for five years, prepares his lunch in the shared kitchen.

At least five cases of sudden death at work suspected to be related to heat stroke have been reported between June and July in 2022. Hot nights increase the risk of death by about 2% to 3%, while a prolonged period of five or more hot nights raises the risk to 6.66%.

Tenants sharing the subdivided flat wje flat where Xia lives reached a consensus that the air-conditioner can only be turned on from 10 pm to 5 am the next day during summer.

The thermometer hanging on the wall records a temperature of 37˚ C. The scalding water from the tap and the steam spurting out of the rice cooker make Xia feel smothered.

Women had a six percent higher risk of dying from hot weather, while older adults had a five percent higher risk, according to the Future Cities Institute of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

“The whole room feels like a smelting furance. Every inch of my skin is burning,” said Xia.

The average annual mean temperature growth rate in the past 30 years is twice the growth rate in the past 137 years, recorded by the Hong Kong Observatory Headquarters

t the end of the narrow aisle crammed with household goods, an old air conditioner hums as it struggles to cool the flat where 11 residents live in eight tiny cells separated by makeshift wooden walls.

In Hong Kong, more than 214,000 people like Xia live in subdivided flats, according to government statistics, where increasing summer temperatures are made worse by cramped, unventilated construction and expensive air-conditioning bills.

Globally, over the past few hundred years, greenhouse gases from industrialization have led to global warming and an increase in extreme climates, according to a United Nations report.

Hong Kong keeps breaking its temperature records. Last year, Hong Kong residents survived the hottest July in the past 138 years, when record keeping began, breaking a previous record set in 2020.

And a high temperature of 35°C or above was recorded for 10

When Xia is not working, he cooks at home to save money. However, because his flat is so hot, he usually takes his meal downstairs to the park to eat.

“Eating outside is not as enjoyable as a picnic. It’s always more than 30 degrees outside, but the air is fresher, not as suffocating as in my small cage,” Xia said.

Nearly half of subdivided flats are hotter than the streets, with a maximum temperature difference of 5.8 degrees, according to OXFAM Hong Kong.

“The problem of heat dissipation and air circulation was not considered when the subdivided flats were built because many of these are illegal buildings without professional

“If the air conditioner is always on, it will be overly expensive. Now the monthly electricity bill of HK$400 has already put a lot of pressure on me,” said Shuai Xiaoting, 51, who lives in another room opposite Xia’s in the same flat.

Shuai pays HK$2,500 a month for her 5 square metre cell. “If the summer keeps getting hotter, I can’t even afford the present accommodation in the future.”

Living with 10 other strangers, Shuai said she can’t keep her door open to let in the cold air from the public air conditioner out of safety concerns. Instead, she uses a noisy fan to blow on her bed all night.

“As night comes, I am often worried that someone might come in, steal my belongings and even threaten my safety if I keep the door open,” she added.

Despite suspecting that the landlord overcharged tenants for electricity bills, Shuai had no choice but to pay the bill.

For most subdivided flats, the bills are under the landlords’ name. “HK$500 for electricity bills per month is not a small amount for us, but we are unable to voice our grievances and must keep them to ourselves,” Shuai said.

William Yu, the Chief Executive Officer

Subdivided flats are not well ventilated.

Many subdivided flats in Hong Kong are overcrowded with poor ventilation.

Shuai Xiaoting sleeps with a fan facing the bed every night to cool down.

9

F L AT S U B D I V I D E D and manual workers last summer.

“We designated a small area inside the church equipped with air conditioners and televisions for people who wanted to avoid the summer heat,” said Cecilia Yu, a staff member in the church.

Yu said many people came in as early as 11 am to take up seats which would be packed within an hour and they wouldn’t leave until 6 pm.

Xia has to stand next to the only window and air conditioner at the end of the aisle to get a little bit of fresh air. The Hong Kong government also of-

“Most visitors are elders living nearby, who would otherwise endure the heat in their stuffy rooms.” - Cecillia Yu of the World Green Organisation, said in an analysis that some landlords of subdivided flats charge HK$1.29 per unit for electricity fees, far exceeding the regular unit rate of HK$0.987 for 30%.

Chan said electricity bills are directly sent to the landlords, which makes it difficult for residents to obtain evidence of being overcharged. More importantly, residents fear being kicked out after arguing with or even suing the landlord.

In addition to financial stress, health issues also threaten the occupants.

The heat wakes up Shuai during the summer nights in recent years. “Insomnia becomes more frequent

10

summer-by-summer,” said Shuai. “Lack of sleep makes me unable to concentrate on my work in daylight. I always feel dizzy while I am at my unit in the summer.”

Research by OXFAM Hong Kong finds that more than 40% of subdivided flat residents face deterioration of body condition in the torrid summer.

Many social organisations have paid close attention to the “summer dilemma” of people living in subdivided flats and tried to bring a boon to those affected. Hong Kong Christian Sheung Tao Church, located at Tai Kok Tsui, with many old buildings around, provided shade for neighbours

fers an electricity subsidy valuing HK$1,000 for the subdivided flat residents through Community Care Fund.

However, all subsidies are in the hands of the landlords, who have no incentive to rebate the government’s electricity subsidy to their tenants, according to CarbonCare Innolab, a non-government organisation dedicated to mitigating climate change in Hong Kong.

This summer is expected to be the hottest on record, the Hong Kong Observatory said.

On a night last week, Shuai woke up from the heat again. “That nightmarish feeling returned.We are dreading another record-breaking heat wave,” she said.

“The concept of climate change is too abstract for us, but the temperature rising year by year is concrete, like a dull knife for us who live in the subdivided flat,” Xia said.

“To remove this knife, the government and the whole society must work together to bring about changes.”

FAREWELL TO TAI O Tai O - a fishing town and a famous tourist location in Hong Kong, is facing threat of flood.

Reported by Renee Tsang, Hayley Lei and Winona Cheung Edited by Chloe Wong

TAI O’S O’S DOLPHIN-WATCHING DOLPHIN-WATCHING TAI LOCAL MARINE MARINE MAMMALS MAMMALS LOCAL

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“I once opened a grilled fi the COVID-19, which only cause Tai O with fewer do tourism downturn,” -

Chow’s boats have been idle for more than three months because of the drop in the number of dolphins and tourists.

P I N K

D O L P H I N S

“HK$40 for a ticket! Don’t miss the chance to see the local pink dolphins here,” said Chow Tin-long on his boat, waving tickets in his hands.

Chow has been running dolphin-watching activities in Tai O, a traditional fishing village on Lantau Island, for more than 15 years. .

Chinese white dolphins, commonly known as “pink dolphins”, have been a mascot of Hong Kong since 1977 and a common tourist activity in Tai O, said Chow.

Chow, who works with three other fishermen, takes tourists out in his own boat for 20 minutes at a time to see the dolphins whose habitat is just off the coast.

However, the number of Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong has plunged from 158 in 2003 to about 40 in 2022, according to the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department.

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With the decreasing numbers of dolphins and tourists, Chow and other small business owners in Tai O who rely on dolphin tourism to make a living have started to adapt with new revenue streams.

Chow started to adapt his business model.

They also find themselves raising public awareness of the marine creatures’ plight caused by climate change, land reclamation and heavy ferry traffic.

“Those products and posters that I put up on my boats can enhance people’s knowledge about the local dolphins.

Chow said business has dropped from around 30 to 40 tourists a day to only five or 10. He is earning about 40% less than he did ten years ago, he said.

“More than half of them could see the dolphins previously, but it’s hard to estimate now,” Chow said.“It is a hard time for us who make a living with the dolphins as I sold two of my boats for money five years ago.”

He tried to reduce the ticket’s price but it didn’t help. After years of loss,

Last year, Chow accepted the suggestion from HKDCS to sell some dolphin souvenirs so that he could earn more money.

Although it still takes time to recover, my business is better now,” said Chow.

Annie Baau, a former volunteer for HKDCS who lives in Tai Po, said they come to see the dolphins every year, and she feels sad whenever she watches the decreasing number of “cute fairies”.

“It surprised me a lot when I saw many dolphins diving beside me for the first time, but climate change made it hard to see the view,” said Baau.

Don Cheng, 33, a staff member from

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rilled fish restaurant before before ch only lasted 10 months beewer dolphins was facing a nturn,” - Chow Tin-Long

A Chinese white dolphin jumps out of the water near Tai O.

HKDCS, listed rising watertemperature and red tide as the primary risks to the survival of Chinese white dolphins due to climate change.

Kong account for a small proportion of all those in Asia, it’s necessary to protect them for the diver sity of world species,” Cheng said.

protection areas for dolphins because the ferries may cause the underwater noise which hampers their abilities to locate food and communicate.

“Compared with the comfortable 13 or 14 degree water temperature for dolphins, the water temperature during the hot summer in recent years sometimes is higher than 15 degrees, which would make the dolphins very uncomfortable,” said Cheng.

“The harmful dolphin-watching and fishing activities should also be forbidden to protect them.”

“Look at the cute dolphins there.

It will be a pity if people can’t see those dolphins anymore,” said Baau.

Cheng said that the bloom of harmful algal due to the warm water temperature also contributed to the disruption of dolphins’ breathing functions through irritating their lungs as pollutants.

Cheng added that the reclamation for constructing Macau-Zhuhai-Hong Kong Bridge occupied the living space of the dolphins and worsened the decline of the species.

“Although the pink dolphins in Hong

The Hong Kong government and NGOs have made efforts to rescue the pink dolphins. The Legal Council enacted related laws to protect local dolphins and helped NGOs to build marine protected areas for them, according to the HKDCS. Baau said she volunteered in the 2015 HKDCS Thirty Dolphins campaign, which called on people to protect the pink dolphins. She helped create a video that told the stories of about 30 dolphins shot from the dolphins’ point of view.

The programme urged the government to modify the ferry route between Tung Chung and Tai O and build

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Rising w

The coastal town has been dealing with severe flooding and destruction brought by super typhoons.

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olourful soda cans shaped into lanterns that dangle from long pieces of wires is a type of traditional wind chime at the fishing village of Tai O.

F L O O D I N G

But when you walk around the many huts on stilts there these days, some of the chimes are rusted and broken because the owners have left for good.

Tai O, is one of Hong Kong’s oldest fishing villages. It is in a low-lying area on the western coast of Lantau Island. This “Venice of Hong Kong” is threatened by inundation because of climate change.

Residents recalled their survival experience from two of the most devastating typhoons in Tai O: Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.

In August 2017, Super Typhoon Hato smashed into Hong Kong with an estimated sustained wind speed of 185 kilometres per hour. The Hong Kong Observatory issued Hurricane Signal No.10, the strongest tropical storm warning signal possible here.

It was the first No.10 in five years.

Hato brought severe flooding and destruction in multiple coastal regions, including Tai O, Cheung Chau, Heng Fa Chuen, and Lei Yue Mun. In Tai O, the damage was the worst in nine years, according to the Observatory. When the government sounded the flood alert system, many residents there had to evacuate.

The rising water approached faster than residents expected. Kenny Wong, a vil-

12

lager in Tai O, said they didn’t have time to prepare because the official forecast underestimated the typhoon’s impact.

“The flood was up to my knees at home. Many of my furniture and electrical appliances were damaged during the storm surge,” Wong said.

He was

said even

Typhoon Mangkhut worse than Hato.

When Super Typhoon Mangkhut hit Hong Kong in September 2018, it brought the most severe wind strength recorded in three decades and yet another round of destruction to Tai O. “Luckily, the government estimated accurately this time. We could prepare for the flooding two days before it approached,” Wong said.

To limit the damage when the seawater washed into their home, Wong and his family moved their furniture to the second floor of their stilt house. They lifted items such as the refrigerator and washing machine.

his house reached half a metre.

When the typhoon is over, residents still need to deal with the aftermath, namely cleaning the mud out of their houses and replacing floor boards.

Wooden floor boards can last up to 30 years. Belian, a type of hard wood used to build stilt houses, provides good support. But flooding speeds up the erosion, replacing them regularly is costly.

“I will stay here no matter how climate change affects my hometown,” Wong said.

The annual mean temperature in Hong Kong has gradually increased at an average rate of 0.28°C per decade between 1993 and 2022, according to the Observatory. That is much faster compared with 0.14 degree celsius per decade between 1885 and 2022. Annual rainfall is also rising, with an average rate of 2.2 milimetres per year from 1884 to 2022.

M

Wong said it was fortunate he wasn’t injured, but he recalled how flying pieces of wood and iron chips caused by the storm hurt some neighbours.

Billy Leung, is another villager in Tai O. The floor of his house was eroded by seawater. “I have spent nearly twenty thousand dollars to renovate my home for half a month,” he said.

Leung

said

the

water

level

in (caption)

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Residents were evacuted because the flood destroyed their houses.

Rising water approached faster than residents expected.

Sajjad Muhammad, a research assistant professor from the Department of Geography at Hong Kong Baptist University explained that intense rainfall increases the chances of rivers to overflow. In the long term, it causes the sea level to rise and coastal regions such as Tai O bear the brunt.

Muhammad has been analysing the impact of climate change on Tai O by the year using the Coastal Risk Screening Tool. It monitors the temperature and water level.

The pink area on the map shows locations that are prone to flooding.

The first If sea level continues to rise at the current rate, some areas in Tai O will be underwater by 2050.

The area that will be underwater when the sea level rises 5 metres.

“There are a few ways to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change,

including having accurate and reliable climate information, boosting communities awareness and solutions like planting,” Muhammad said.

“Using flood as an example, by understanding and predicting what kinds of floods are expected to occur under different climate change scenarios could help the government realise possible risks and propose related policies based on those hazards,” he said.

the chances of rivers from overflowing.

Muhammad and his students are developing some reliable methodologies and social sensing data to help people overcome the impact of climate change.

“All of these up-to-date technologies can help different stakeholders,” he said.

He said the government should also raise the awareness of those living in regions prone to flooding and inform them on the possible dangers.

They can also plan for the relocation of affected residents.

Other ways to save coastal communities may include building sea walls and plantating green cover or mangroves which can reduce the

Most not want leave their homes.

Most in in Tai Tai O O O,do do don’t notwant wanttoto toleave leavetheir theirhomes. homes.

The unique pieces, created by a Tai O villager, originated in Japan.

Tenant Lau tends to his crops at Kwok’s farm in Kam Sheung Road, Yuen Long.

FARMERS ADOPT SURVIVAL MEASURES AMIDST RISING TEMPERATURE Reported by Tsz Yin Ho, Mollie Hob Edited by Dhuha Al-Zaidi

16

Sheung Road station between Pat Hueng and Kam Tin in Hong Kong’s New Territories is Fruitful Organic Farm, a locally-owned farm that’s been operating for 12 years.

Roughly 30 to 40 crops grow here, neatly aligned with small wooden labels: tomatoes, pak-choy and lettuce, to name a few.

But this farm doesn’t make money from its organic produce. Instead, its income comes from renting out plots of land to other farmers, a survival response to climate change.

As temperatures rise, some of Hong Kong’s farms are turning to land rentals and severe weather planting techniques to keep their crops and livelihoods alive.

Paul Kwok, 66, who has owned Fruitful Organic Farm for over a decade, said his farm started as an effort to give Hongkongers an opportunity to rely less on imports and to plant their own vegetables organically. But he stopped selling his own produce to hawkers last year.

Kwok said this was due to the COVID-19

pandemic and rising temperatures affecting the yield and size of vegetables and fruits. “I believe that we have suffered at least a 30% loss in harvest yield since I first started farming,” he said.

Currently, over 90% of Kwok’s land has been rented out.

“Our income is even more stable with renting out land to people than it was with selling crops,” he added.

Neighboring farms, such as Go Green Farm, have also adopted a similar business model.

Hong Kong has consistently gotten hotter over the years. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, the region’s average increase in temperature per decade from 1993 to 2022 was 0.28 degrees celsius.

The Observatory also recorded that the annual number of very hot nights, classified as days with a maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius or above, has increased over the last century.

Last year saw 52 very hot days, just two short of Hong Kong’s record in 2021.

Chen Wing-yiu, 25, project officer

Paul Kwok’s Fruitful Organic Farm used to provide organic vegetables to hawkers but now rents out farmlands for people who are interested in planting.

of the The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Organic Farm in the Yuen Long district, said climate change is also impacting her farm’s crops.

“The biggest issue that we have to face is climate change. It cannot be controlled by us, so we have to come up with different solutions to deal with it,” Chen said.

Hong Kong farms have started buying seeds from abroad that are more resistant towards severe weather conditions and can still grow in Hong Kong’s climate, such as those from Taiwan.

They have also built shelters for their crops to protect them from flooding, typhoons, and pests which thrive in warmer temperatures.

“We used to wholesale our produce, so we saw a huge impact on our harvest due to global warming,” Kwok said. “Even some of our tenants have said ‘The harvest is very bad’ as they’re no longer big like in the past.”

Tse Yuen-wah, 53, owner of the Ying Shing vegetable stall in Shau Kei Wan, said that the supply of local vegetables is not stable

A G R I C U LT U R E

Just a 25-minute walk from Kam

Locally harvested pak-choy can cost to HK$20 for 600 grams while those from the mainland while those from the mainland usually cost arounf HK$14, said vegetable stall owner Tse Yuen-wah.

“It is great that local farmers can provide organic vegetables, but their supply is not guaranteed.”

- Tse Yuen-wah

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and quality can be Currently, only 10% produce is locally

irregular. of her sourced.

One of the bestsellers at Tse’s stall is pakchoy from Hok Tau in the New Territories, famous for its sweetness and tenderness. However, the local produce costs around HK$20 for 600 grams, while those imported from mainland China cost around HK$14 all year-round.

to protect the environment,” she said.

Recently, Kwok’s farm hosted a kindergarten class to teach young children the process of growing plants.

One of Kwok’s tenants, Lau Chuk-fai, 68, who has been renting Kwok’s land for almost two years, said he is growing vegetables for his personal use and hasn’t encountered any problems.

“My customers prefer imported vegetables over the local ones. Indeed, the local crop’s salary is not that good and the incoming price is higher,” she added.

“I think the quality of the harvest just depends on the timing. Vegetables are seasonal, and you have to plant depending on the season,” Lau said.

Chen doesn’t see her farm adopting the land rental business model anytime soon, despite the growing issues with harvesting and selling organic local produce. “We would rather hold different events and activities that raise the attention of the public

Kwok remains positive about the new direction his farm has gone into.

“We are providing facilities for people to have fun and things for children to play,” he said. “This is how we develop our business.”

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The Young Reporter

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The Young Repor ter

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