Hong Kong has never had the luxury of abundant land for development. A small territory supporting a large and highly urbanised population must constantly make difficult choices about housing, transport and infrastructure. This is especially true when every decision carries an environmental cost that is often irreversible. Yet the way forward is not to stand still, but to ensure that development is necessary, properly designed and compatible with the protection of the city’s natural heritage.

The government’s use of artificial intelligence to accelerate environmental impact assessments – a statutory requirement to evaluate and mitigate possible damage before major development projects can proceed – is therefore a welcome step. According to the Environmental Protection Department, the application of AI shortened the time frame for collecting environmental data and completing the process from 36 to 48 months to 15 to 24 months. The new technology has also enabled real-time surveillance for environmental and bird monitoring, and reduced the time for tree baseline surveys by 70 per cent.

The gain is substantial. However, speed alone should not be the ultimate goal. Equally essential is accuracy and reliability. There have been legal challenges against the findings of some key environmental impact assessments in the past, resulting in prolonged litigation and delays in implementing key infrastructure projects.

The real test is whether AI enables Hong Kong to reach decisions that are both efficient and environmentally sound. Unlike some policies and measures that can be tweaked or withdrawn, the damage caused by poorly designed and implemented infrastructure projects often cannot be undone. AI must therefore be used to strengthen scientific and objective assessments rather than to justify short cuts and administrative efficiency.

Hong Kong’s rich biodiversity has made the job more challenging. Despite its reputation as a forest of glitzy skyscrapers and concrete towers, the city contains a remarkable variety of habitats, including a thousand kilometres of rugged coastline, mountain ranges, country parks and wetlands. There are 25 country parks and 22 special conservation areas, covering about 40 per cent of the territory’s total land mass. Some 3,300 plant species, 55 terrestrial mammal species, 116 species of amphibians and reptiles, 203 freshwater fish species, 135 dragonfly species and 249 butterfly species make their homes here. The city also boasts one third of the total bird species in China, with over 580 species recorded.

Conservationists recently pointed to species such as the brown wood owl, Chinese barbet and black-chinned yuhina as evidence that Hong Kong’s biodiversity may be richer than previously understood. Several new species, which had been unknown worldwide, have also been discovered in Hong Kong. They include two new soft coral species off Sung Kong Island early this year, the Mai Po box jellyfish in 2023, a jumping spider in 2019 and the Hong Kong tree gecko in 2018.