DEP attends Water and Development Congress & Exhibition and international workshop in Rwanda, Africa (with photos)
The Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui, attended the Water and Development Congress & Exhibition (the Congress) organised by the International Water Association (IWA), and an international workshop as invited by the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Rwanda, Africa, on December 13 and 14.
With the theme of water, sanitation and climate resilience – keys to a water-wise future, the Congress organised by the IWA this year presents solutions spanning water and sanitation services, the role of water in urban areas, the links between cities and basins, and the opportunities to achieve climate resilience. Over 1 000 specialists across the globe, including those from the Belt and Road (B&R) countries, attended the Congress to share knowledge about innovations in science and practice, and exchange experience in water and sanitation policy, technology, and management.
In the Congress, Dr Chui promoted multidimensional exchanges with the specialists from different countries, and introduced the environmental water quality monitoring and management, sewage virus surveillance experience as well as the application and development of advanced technology by the Environmental Protection Department.
In addition, to help accelerate progress towards the sustainable development goal of clean drinking water and sanitation facilities in developing countries, Dr Chui shared Hong Kong's successful experience as a coastal city in using seawater toilet flushing, sewage treatment and submarine outfall discharges, and the Triple Water System installed at Hong Kong International Airport, which is the world's leading water-saving and energy-saving system adopting seawater for toilet flushing and air conditioning, as well as recycling and reuse of grey water. Seawater toilet flushing not only can save up to 20 to 30 per cent of precious fresh water, but also consumes 50 per cent less energy than supplying fresh water, 10 times less than wastewater reclamation as well as 100 times less than seawater desalination. Seawater can also be used for central air-conditioning systems at the same time, which reduces electricity consumption by 30 per cent as compared with ordinary air-conditioning systems. It is a valuable reference and direction for many developing countries along the B&R. In the workshop, many participants expressed their appreciation for Hong Kong's methods such as seawater toilet flushing and air conditioning, and expressed their wish to strengthen collaboration with Hong Kong to improve their drainage facilities with reference to Hong Kong's successful experience.
Dr Chui said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been participating proactively to connect with the B&R regions, and will continue to leverage Hong Kong's experience and advantage in environmental protection, environmental water quality and water resources management, to assist B&R regions in jointly achieving sustainable development.