Given that the Hong Kong government espouses the principle of “conservation in the south” of Lantau, has set up the Sustainable Lantau Office and recently invited expressions of interest to build the South Lantau Eco-recreation Corridor, you might expect that this project fully embraces the principles of sustainability and ecotourism. The United Nations defines ecotourism as “nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is the observation and appreciation of nature as well as the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas”, generating economic benefits for host communities. Hence, there would be an emphasis on wildlife viewing, along with enhancements of natural habitats and integration with local communities. Right? Wrong. Even though Shui Hau and Pui O rank among Hong Kong’s top 20 sites for bird diversity, there is nothing about birdwatching in the proposed Lantau “corridor”. Apart from a few proposals such as a treetop walkway in Pui O, the plan seems to largely focus on constructing buildings, piers and car parks to solely benefit humans. Ideas even include a chairlift and a “luge” – surely not involving ice, but likely hurtling downhill on a sort of sledge on wheels – as well as catering and retail facilities and “quality holiday accommodation”. Despite the “eco” in its name, the corridor does not evidently involve the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, but is the responsibility of the Civil Engineering and Development Department, which in 2017 established the Sustainable Lantau Office. In August 2021, the department signed a HK$11 million consultancy agreement for an investigation study for “sustainable leisure and recreation initiatives” in Shek Pik and adjoining areas with Binnies Hong Kong – which on LinkedIn describes itself as “a multidisciplinary engineering consultant” that has “played a significant role in developing tailored infrastructure solutions”. Hence, the corridor plans feature infrastructure solutions, which will in places require site formation works to maximise the amount of flat land available, and also, it appears, a substantial clearance of vegetation including trees, and work in areas zoned as green belt. Visitor numbers could perhaps triple from around 2,700 per day during the holidays, even though this would further strain the main bus route, requiring a substantial increase from around 11,000 passengers on a busy day, when there are already long queues at bus stops. Rather than seeking to dovetail with local communities, and support existing restaurants, shops and watersports facilities, plans for the corridor aim for separate, new developments, and even specifically exclude village zones: there’s nothing about locals perhaps establishing homestays, nor giving places like Pui O a facelift. As with many government projects, there was a public consultation regarding the corridor plans, which were announced in May last year. Responses included a joint submission from 10 green groups, noting they were, “gravely concerned about the objectives and environmental and ecological impacts of the Proposal, particularly loss of natural assets for ‘eco-recreation’, and pollution and habitat damages brought about by overloading of environmental capacity of South Lantau by increased road traffic and visitor facilities”. Green groups might be expected to be experts on “eco” projects, and so have worthwhile views. Yet if any changes to the plans followed, you might need a microscope to find them. While the corridor plans seem bold, it’s worth remembering that so too did the government’s Concept Plan for Lantau, which was first published in 2004 with a mishmash of zany, “anti-eco” ideas like a new theme park, a logistics centre, an indoor beach and a golf course on very rough terrain – most of which have not been realised. Other grand suggestions have been floated before and since the concept plan – like cable cars connecting Peng Chau and Pui O, and a cable car or funicular to Sunset Peak, but have mostly come to nought. And it’s here, perhaps, that hope for Lantau’s environment lies. The eco-recreation corridor is likewise an idea for now; and given the economic struggles, Hong Kong’s substantial budget deficit and a shift among mainland visitors towards lower spending, it may be tough to convince a developer to invest time and resources in the projects. If the corridor plans flop, it does not mean the best way forward is to simply leave South Lantau as it is. Ideally, it would be a good time to dust off plans in former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s 2017 policy speech to implement rural conservation projects, in areas such as Tai O, Shui Hau and Pui O. Pui O, in particular, is crying out for active conservation measures, as the wetland grazed by feral water buffalo has suffered repeated small-scale reclamations. Effective protection would be challenging, particularly as it requires managing habitats on private land, but would cost a fraction of the tens of billions of dollars the corridor could involve.