The research focuses on public opposition to the extension of South East New Territories (SENT) Landfill in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. The phenomenon of opposing undesirable facilities sitings is described as the “Not in my backyard (NIMBY)” syndrome in literature and the popular media. SENT Landfill is expected to reach its saturation capacity before 2016 but the public opposition has been fierce to prohibit the extension proposal. The objectives of this study is to identify how the public in Tseung Kwan O perceive the landfill extension proposal, reasons for opposing the extension and potential measures to resolve the conflicts. A questionnaire survey was adopted to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. One-hundred fifty samples were collected from each sampling area. A total of four-hundred fifty samples were collected among three sampling areas in Tseung Kwan O. It was found that residents who live in Lohas Park are strongly against the proposal of SENT landfill extension due to the close proximity of Lohas Park to the landfill. Respondents with higher levels of knowledge about the landfill extension issue have a higher chance to accept the proposal. It was concluded that the residents in Tseung Kwan O are mostly unsatisfied with inadequate or ineffective public involvement in the existing policy-making process. The government should consider dropping its centralized planning approach and reforming current information-giving channels. Officials should also make efforts to enhance their credibility by cooperating with environmental NGOs. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Chong Chun-wing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-165). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vii / List of Tables --- p.x / List of Figures --- p.xii / List of Plates --- p.xiii / List of Appendix --- p.xiv / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Waste management in Hong Kong --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Landfilling --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Definition --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Landfill design --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Waste degradation --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.3.1 --- Landfill leachate --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.3.2 --- Landfill gas --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2.3.3 --- Effective control of degraded by-products --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- General practices after completion of landfills --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.4.1 --- Final capping system --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.4.2 --- Revegetation on final cover --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2.4.3 --- Post-closure management --- p.11 / Chapter 1.2.4.4 --- Afteruses --- p.12 / Chapter 1.3 --- Reclamation of closed landfills --- p.13 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Selecting afteruse and setting ultimate ecological goal of a closed landfill --- p.14 / Chapter 1.3.1.1 --- Important considerations on landfill reclamation --- p.14 / Chapter 1.3.1.2 --- Land reclamation and ecosystem development --- p.14 / Chapter 1.3.1.3 --- Choice In Hong Kong --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Limitations to revegetation --- p.17 / Chapter 1.3.2.1 --- Physical problems --- p.17 / Chapter 1.3.2.2 --- Shallow soil --- p.18 / Chapter 1.3.2.3 --- Drought and waterlogging --- p.18 / Chapter 1.3.2.4 --- Nutrient deficiencies --- p.19 / Chapter 1.3.2.5 --- Landfill gas and leachate --- p.19 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Selecting the suitable species --- p.20 / Chapter 1.4 --- Plantations and closed landfills --- p.22 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- The roles of plantations --- p.23 / Chapter 1.4.1.1 --- Enhancing soil development --- p.24 / Chapter 1.4.1.2 --- Modifying microclimate --- p.25 / Chapter 1.4.1.3 --- Facilitate natural invasion --- p.25 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Exotics or natives? --- p.25 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Knowledge learned from natural invasion --- p.27 / Chapter 1.4.4 --- Human management or aftercare --- p.28 / Chapter 1.5 --- Objectives of this research --- p.28 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- Knowledge gap --- p.28 / Chapter 1.5.2. --- Objectives --- p.29 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Study Sites --- p.31 / Chapter 2.1 --- General descriptions --- p.31 / Chapter 2.2 --- Locations --- p.34 / Chapter 2.3 --- Climate --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Soil Status of Closed Landfills --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.38 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Landfill gas and soil moisture determination --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Soil sampling and analysis --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Soil sampling and preparation --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Soil texture and water retention --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.2.3 --- Bulk density and total porosity --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.2.4 --- Soil pH and electrical conductivity --- p.42 / Chapter 3.2.2.5 --- Organic carbon --- p.42 / Chapter 3.2.2.6 --- Nitrogen --- p.42 / Chapter 3.2.2.7 --- Phosphorus --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.2.8 --- Cations --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Statistical analysis --- p.43 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results and discussion --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Landfill gas and soil moisture contents --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Soil physical properties --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.2.1 --- Bulk density and porosity --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.2.2 --- Texture --- p.47 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Soil chemical properties --- p.47 / Chapter 3.3.3.1 --- pH and electrical conductivity --- p.47 / Chapter 3.3.3.2 --- Organic carbon and matter --- p.49 / Chapter 3.3.3.3 --- Nitrogen and C:N ratio --- p.50 / Chapter 3.3.3.4 --- Phosphorus --- p.51 / Chapter 3.3.3.5 --- Potassium --- p.52 / Chapter 3.3.3.6 --- Other major cations --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Comparison among sites --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3.5 --- Comparison with other degraded sites --- p.54 / Chapter 3.3.6 --- Implications --- p.55 / Chapter 3.4 --- Conclusion --- p.57 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- "Screening Native Species for Revegetating ""Recently Restored"" Landfills I: Drought Resistance Trial" --- p.58 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.58 / Chapter 4.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.60 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Principles --- p.60 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Species selection --- p.63 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- General experimental design --- p.65 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Soil source and analysis --- p.68 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Statistical analysis --- p.68 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results and discussion --- p.68 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Soil used for filling the trial pots --- p.68 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Chlorophyll fluorescence --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Standing leaf number --- p.72 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Overall evaluation --- p.76 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Features of the more drought resistant species --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Limitations for the study --- p.79 / Chapter 4.4 --- Conclusion --- p.79 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- "Screening Native Species for Revegetating ""Recently Restored"" Landfills II: Field Trial" --- p.81 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.81 / Chapter 5.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Tree planting --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Site environmental factors --- p.83 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Survival and growth responses --- p.85 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Ecophysiological responses --- p.85 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Statistical analysis --- p.85 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results and discussion --- p.86 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Environmental factors of Plot TNP --- p.86 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Survival rate --- p.88 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- General growth performance --- p.91 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Seasonal growth performance --- p.95 / Chapter 5.3.5 --- Ecophysiological responses --- p.99 / Chapter 5.3.5.1 --- Fv/Fm --- p.99 / Chapter 5.3.5.2 --- Stomatal conductance --- p.100 / Chapter 5.3.5.3 --- Transpiration rate --- p.102 / Chapter 5.3.6 --- Species selection --- p.103 / Chapter 5.3.7 --- Limitations and further studies --- p.105 / Chapter 5.4 --- Conclusion --- p.106 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- "Screening Native Species for Revegetating ""Recently Restored´ح Landfills III: Different Management Practices" --- p.107 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.107 / Chapter 6.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.108 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- General experimental design and seedling preparation --- p.108 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- "Survival, Growth and chlorophyll fluorescence responses" --- p.109 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Soil source and analysis --- p.109 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Statistical analysis --- p.110 / Chapter 6.3 --- Results and Discussion --- p.110 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Soil physical and chemical properties --- p.110 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Survival rate --- p.112 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- General growth peformance --- p.114 / Chapter 6.3.3.1 --- Height growth --- p.114 / Chapter 6.3.3.2 --- Basal diameter growth --- p.119 / Chapter 6.3.4 --- Chlorophyll fluorescence --- p.123 / Chapter 6.3.5 --- Implications --- p.124 / Chapter 6.4 --- Conclusion --- p.125 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- "Performance of Two Years Old Native Saplings Planted on A ""Recently Restored"" Landfill" --- p.126 / Chapter 7.1 --- Introduction --- p.126 / Chapter 7.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.127 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- "Study plots, species selection and tree sampling" --- p.127 / Chapter 7.2.2 --- Site environmental factors --- p.128 / Chapter 7.2.3 --- Survival and growth responses --- p.128 / Chapter 7.2.4 --- Ecophysiological responses --- p.128 / Chapter 7.2.5 --- Statistical analysis --- p.128 / Chapter 7.3 --- Results and discussion --- p.129 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- Environmental factors of trial plots TA & TB --- p.129 / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Survival rate --- p.131 / Chapter 7.3.3 --- General growth performance --- p.133 / Chapter 7.3.4 --- Seasonal growth performance --- p.137 / Chapter 7.3.5 --- Ecophysiological responses --- p.140 / Chapter 7.3.5.1 --- Fv/Fm --- p.140 / Chapter 7.3.5.2 --- Stomatal conductance --- p.141 / Chapter 7.3.5.3 --- Transpiration rate --- p.142 / Chapter 7.3.6 --- Evaluation of different species --- p.143 / Chapter 7.3.7 --- Effects of ages --- p.144 / Chapter 7.4 --- Conclusion --- p.145 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- General Conclusions --- p.146 / Chapter 8.1 --- Summary of findings --- p.146 / Chapter 8.2 --- Further studies --- p.148 / References --- p.151

published_or_final_version / Applied Geosciences / Master / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Closed landfills possess vast open space which could only be lightly developed due to environmental concerns. Renewable energy production is one of the few beneficial and viable uses. This paper presents a study on the feasibility of converting Hong Kong’s restored strategic landfill into a clean energy facility. South East New Territories (SENT) landfill has been chosen for study due to its impending closure, its proximity to energy demands and expected restored area at approximately 60 ha. Given the location constraints, photovoltaic (PV) solar farm was found to be the most viable technological option among all available renewable energy choices. A review of literature has revealed that there are overseas examples of using ex-landfill sites for PV solar farms in the developed countries including the US, Germany, France, Italy and Korea. Different PV systems have been explored, with C-Si, CdTe, A-Si and CIGS PV panels being shortlisted for further investigation. The site characteristics have also been studied and solar resource was found to be adequate. The renewable energy production from abovementioned options has been estimated to be 81.9, 61.9, 44.3 and 68.8 million kWh respectively. The environmental performance of the hypothetical landfill based PV systems were evaluated through a life-cycle assessment. C-Si PV system has a longer payback period in terms of energy and CO2 emission. However, it outperforms the other PV options in terms of overall environmental performance over the entire life cycle. Given the long product life of PV panels, other elements including transportation, electricity system, invertors and mounting was found to be of little impact to the life cycle performance of a PV installation. The cost estimation indicates that the monetary payback period would be longer than the lifetime of all installation options. Hence, from an economic point of view, breaking even is unlikely. The findings from this study are expected to provide a preliminary concept to policy makers and environmental managers, shedding light on the implications of an alternative beneficial use of Hong Kong’s vast yet closing strategic landfills. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Landscape Architecture