Hong Kong has over 200 rivers and streams and the majority of them are short and unnamed. The total length of all of Hong Kong’s rivers and streams is approximately 2,500 km. Over time, urbanization has degraded rivers, modern society has become less connected to the environment, and people’s perception of rivers has changed. Traditional river-based activities have been lost; and urban development has meant culverted and channelized rivers. Many people have neglected the multiple values of our rivers, manifested in their multiple functions—such as the ecological, social, cultural and environmental.
Re-connecting our community with Hong Kong’s rivers and river basins will help enhance the public’s understanding of the multiple functions provided by water. Through the participation in our Project’s activities, the general public should be able to develop a sense of shared consciousness for water conservation and sustainability.
JC-WISE focuses on the following river catchments and urban channels: