Free The Trade-Offs Of A Bridge Connecting Hong Kong, Zhuhai, And Macau Essay Example

At first glance, the bridge that connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau is revolutionary as to convenience of commuters going to the mainland. In the presentation, the travel time will be reduced to 60% to 80%. For the Hong Kong workers traveling to mainland, from more than seven hours of travel, they will only spend roughly 2 hours and presto, they are in the mainland. Economically, the accomplishment of the project will bring in more money Hong Kong because of tourism, job opportunities which will decrease unemployment rate. Who would not like this project? Most people who do not have a framework for sustainable development will say, Amen to the project without thinking.
With the lens of sustainable development, any development project will not push through if it fails to meet the requisites not only economically but socially and environmentally. Measuring social impacts include the project’s effect to culture and values. In the case of the interstate bridge, the presentation predicts that when the bridge will be operational, it will increase the influx of mainland tourists to Hong Kong. The influx of tourists will result to disrespect of Hong Kong’s culture because mainland and Hong Kong are populated by distinct cultures. In the long run, it will create conflict between mainland and Hong Kong.
Assessing environment effects will entail the so called environmental impact assessment (EIA) which will delve on the project’s effects on the quality of air, water, all the living beings, traffic and the holistic environment. Hong Kong already implemented their EIA ordinance in 1998. After the presentation specially in the environmental impact assessment, I am not already in favor of the project. If I compare the benefits and its negative effects, it will defeat its main purpose which is to decrease big time the travel time from Hong Kong to the mainland. Yes, it will provide jobs but those are not sustainable but it will disturb the biodiversity of the ocean which will surely displace the white Chinese dolphins in the Pearl River Estuary. The bridge will entail dumping dredging and other activities that will destroy the remaining areas for the endangered species to survive. According to the report of the WWF, the white Chinese dolphins are distinct species thriving only within the Pearl River Estuary. In the future, the damage that will be caused by the bridge construction will eventually result to the extinction of this kind of dolphins.
Indeed, it is true that when you look at the traffic effect, it will be a huge headache for the travelers. True enough that it will lessen the travel time from Hong Kong to mainland and vice versa but it will cause an intolerable traffic jam especially with the influx of cars which are attracted with the decrease of travel time. Even though there is one project component which will allow the setting up of an artificial island to ease traffic jam and accidents, there is no assurance yet that it will indeed address the project.
One of the points that caught my attention is the inability of Hong Kong to accommodate tourists and the accumulation of garbage. It happened in most tourist destinations that food prices and other commodities will rise because the supply cannot suffice for the number of tourists coming in. It is possible then that it will also happen in Hong Kong. Not everyday that people can see one of the longest bridges around the world which is connecting one country to another. Tourists not only coming from mainland will be attracted to it. It will attract tourists at the international level. The question is, is Hong Kong ready to accommodate twice or thrice its current population? Are there enough facilities to cater to their needs? Is Hong Kong ready for more garbage woes? Will there be enough water supply? If those questions are still unanswered then the plan is not sustainable especially that one of the “come-on” of the project is becoming a tourist destination.
On the other hand, there is also a question on whether or not the project is profitable or not. The project cost has been quadrupled from its original budget. There are already a lot of questions on the implementation including the lack of transparency especially on the mainland side of the project that includes the artificial island. Hong Kong cannot check if the construction is within the quality that they set. In the 2008 estimates, the Hong Kong side of the project alone costs 42.9% of public funding. The government has already allotted the supplemental budget for the project for fourteen times already. In 2015, the Hong Kong side of the project has been delayed. It is now a question of whether the bridge’s earnings from its operations will return the government investment. Looking at this situation, the operation of the bridge will become a privatized especially if the government cannot already afford its maintenance.
What we say here will not change the fact that the construction is ongoing. However, this project should serve as a lesson for planning development projects. A giant project like this should undergo a comprehensive assessment within the indicators of sustainable development which dig deeper in the issues of environmental, social, and economic viability.