Identifying Risks
The Hong Kong International Airport is connected to over 100 destinations through over one thousand daily flight by over 100 airlines. In order to fulfill the future demand until 2030, the Airport Authority of Hong Kong (AAHK) planned for the expansion of HKIA into a three- runway system to provide support to the present runways through the introduction of the Master Plan 2030. The 2030 Master Plan of HKIA has two alternatives in its considerations. The preparation of the master plan ensures that there is transparent, unbiased process of planning and professionalism. Consequently, the Airport Authority of Hong Kong (AAHK) commissioned several independent experts in their respective departments to conduct research into different strategic aspects of airport development such forecasting on traffic, economic consequences, feasibility on engineering, and assessment of the environment to cover the major areas (threerunwaysystem.com, 2017).
Despite maintaining the existing runways, it requires additional investments in both terminal and apron facilities such as the concourse of the passengers, automated movers, systems of baggage handling, and internal road infrastructure. This option will cost about HK$ 23 billion in 2010 dollars especially for the development between 2016 and 2030 phases. Therefore, HKIA will be able to a practical maximum capacity of four hundred twenty thousand movements of flights per year. On the other hand, this alternative will be met if the estimated demand for air services in the medium term will attain the capacity of its runway sometimes between 2019 and 2022. However, beyond this, HKIA will lack the capacity to accommodate extra movement of the flights.
Alternative two is about the expansion of a Three-Runway System
It involves a major investment of over HK$ 80 in 2010 dollars on the phased development between 2016 and 2030 to construct a third runway and its related terminal, and apron facilities. This project requires a reclamation of about 650 hectares. Therefore, with this investment option, HKIA will be able to handle a capacity of 620,000 flight movements every year. According to analytics, this would fulfill the unconstrained demand for traffic of HKIA. Therefore, this will maintain connectivity up to 2030. In this alternative, the management team of the HKIA needs to address the entire host of engineering, funding, and environmental problems. For example, the environmental effects on marine ecology, the natural habitat of the Chinese White Dolphins, noise, and quality of air. Therefore, the Master Plan of 2030 is suggesting that the building of the third runway will create other environmental impacts.
Risks associated with the HKIA Project
Health Risks
The specific health issues cannot be linked to pollution caused by aircraft. But according to case studies, the prolonged exposure to air and noise pollution due to the project expansion can cause health problems (Corpuz, Hines, Hogan & Paredes, 2012). Health issues are the increasing respiratory rate, cardiovascular diseases, high carcinogenic risk, loss of hearing, and the high degree of psychological distress. Thus, there is no assessment regarding on health issues due to the expansion of HKIA projects have been conducted.
Ecological risks
Reclamation of land has been the common means of expanding the capacity of the port (Corpuz, Hines, Hogan & Paredes, 2012). Therefore, the development of the portside involves land reclamation which has raised concerns regarding the effects of such projects will have on the environmental quality as well as the native ecological habitats during and after construction. In present years, reclamation of lands has raised several queries concerning their effects on quality of air, noise, and long-term ecological effects. That is when making a consideration on land reclamation projects, and the extensive environmental impact assessment is always completed to measure the negative effects that the plan may have on its surroundings.
The major concern with this plan for the people in Hong Kong is the marine ecology near the airport. This is because it will not only interfere with natural communities in the reclaimed regions, but the suspended sediments of clouds will indirectly affect several species through blockage of light. Moreover, this could affect the food chain in the harbor (Corpuz, Hines, Hogan & Paredes, 2012). Similarly, minerals and pollutants that are introduced as a result of reclamation may have major effects on the quality of water. Consequently, the water will be harmful to the marine ecosystem (Corpuz, Hines, Hogan & Paredes, 2012). Land reclamation may create changes in sediment dispersion rates. This will affect the quality of water.
As acknowledged in the Master Plan 2030, filling actions due to land reclamation have increased water pollutants, increased the level of sediments that are suspended in the water, limit the level of dissolved oxygen in the water. Additionally, the reclamation has also altered the level of nutrients in the water, destroyed habitats thereby, entrapping organisms during dredging. The additional of sewage, as well as the construction effects such as erosion, may also increase the level of water pollution in the marine environment.
Emission risks
According to some anticipation with the growth of air traffic, emissions will be increased significantly (Corpuz, Hines, Hogan & Paredes, 2012). Therefore, the addition of the third runway will produce more emissions of air pollutants from the HKIA by over 70%. In 2010, the Airport Authority of Hong Kong (AAHK) produced the quality review of air and impacts of the air traffic movements as per the projection with the additional runway. Out of the ten reviewed emissions, seven were expected to increase from 2020 to 2030. According to the projections, the yearly emission of the greenhouse gasses from the aircrafts was to increase by 23% between 2020 and 2030 (Corpuz, Hines, Hogan & Paredes, 2012).
Conclusion
Option one is less costly with an investment of HK$ 23billion. This could boost the handling capacity of HKIA by 30%. Thus, leading to the present economic value of HK$ 432 billion. Option two is bringing a net present value of HK$ 912 billion but with environmental and risk considerations (Apm.org.uk, 2011). However, option two is posing greater environmental issues where both physical and marine ecological environments would be affected by the proposed land reclamation.
References
Apm.org.uk. (2011). Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030. Retrieved 23 January 2017, from https://www.apm.org.uk/news/hong-kong-international-airport-master-plan-2030/
Corpuz, L., Hines, J., Hogan, G., & Paredes, M. (2012). Effects of Hong Kong International Airport. An Evaluation of the Perceived Impacts in Tung Chung, 1(1). Retrieved from https://web.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-030912-205534/unrestricted/Effects_of_Hong_Kong_International_Airport_-_An_Evaluation_of_the_Perceived_Impacts_in_Tung_Chung.pdf
threerunwaysystem.com. (2017). Summary: Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030. Retrieved 23 January 2017, from http://www.threerunwaysystem.com/media/1273/mp2030_leaflet.pdf
