Policy Comments & Advocacy

Green Power has been notified about the recently commenced slope works along hiking trails in country parks on Hong Kong Island complaining concreting the slopes and failing to follow the guidelines and practices that prohibit the use of shotcrete.

In this regard, we visited the concerned sites in Pok Fu Lam Country Park on 25 July, 2025. We found that the uphill slopes of the footpaths were mostly shotcreted or paved with stone walls. These paved slopes were obviously less vegetated, if not bare, or only inhabited with herbs and shrub compared to trees densely grown on the natural slopes along the same trails.

We appreciate that these retaining slopes prevent slope failure that will obstruse the paths and impose risk to human life. However, from the ecological and environmental points of view, we opine that

(i) Large surface area of paved slope blocks infiltration of rainwater into soil resulting in higher surface runoff volume and cause erosion of paths and their downward slopes.

(ii) Soil erosion brought about by higher surface runoff from paved slopes will increase the sedimentation in catchwaters and reservoirs.

(iii) Large man-made slopes surface will promote colonisation of invasive species, such as Mikania micrantha 薇甘菊, that out-competes native species that interfere native ecology.

(iv) Paving slopes will cause habitat loss for species of concern, such as Lysimachia alpestris 香港過路黃 and Spathoglottis pubescens 苞舌蘭, threatening the local biodiversity.

(v) The air temperature in vicinity of large non-vegetated concrete surfaces will fluctuate to a greater extent than vegetated natural surfaces that will further alter the abiotic condition of habitats and affect the natural habitats.

(vi) Large non-vegetated concrete surfaces also deprive of aesthetic and landscape quality of country parks.

Therefore, we advise the WSD to avoid unnecessary slope works and adopt environmental-friendly, ecological-adaptive and climate resilient slopes design in country parks and water gathering grounds.

Thank you very much for your kind attention. We look forward to your response soon. For any inquiries, please contact the undersigned at Green Power (T: 3961 0200, F: 2314 2661, Email: info@greenpower.org.hk).