【明報專訊】◆Source A

．Changes in the cost of Dongjiang water (See picture)

◆Source B

Under the current agreement on the supply of Dongjiang water, the Hong Kong government purchases water from Guangdong in a “package deal lump sum" arrangement, meaning that Hong Kong pays a fixed amount of money to Guangdong for up to 820 million cubic metres of Dongjiang water. However, there have been years in which Hong Kong's usage was lower than the upper limit, leading to criticisms of a waste of taxpayers' money. Some people demand that the government purchase the water by the amount used instead.

The Development Bureau says that while Hong Kong's water resources mainly come from natural rainfall, water collected through the city's water gathering grounds is not sufficient to cope with local demand. The yearly fluctuation of the amount of rainfall also necessitates the stable supply of Dongjiang water. The bureau adds that the Guangdong authorities think that if the amount of water to be supplied yearly is not stipulated in the water supply agreement, it will be difficult to ensure a sufficient supply of water during dry seasons in Hong Kong. Furthermore, Hong Kong might face a higher cost for the water if it is charged by the amount used.

Source: Ming Pao and documents from the Legislative Council

■Questions and answering guidelines

1. Referring to Sources A and B, illustrate Hong Kong people's usage of Dongjiang water.

It is important to sum up the phenomena displayed in the sources. They include:

．The rising cost of Dongjiang water

As can be seen from Source A, the cost of Dongjiang water has been rising steadily and quite substantially. Do not neglect to include numbers in your analysis.

．Less water was used than purchased

As can be seen from Source B, Hong Kong's usage was lower than the upper limit, leading to criticisms of a waste of taxpayers' money.

2. Referring to the above sources, explain the problems caused by Hong Kong's over-reliance on Dongjiang water.

．Higher water bills for citizens

There has been an upward trend in the cost of Dongjiang water. According to source A, its cost in 2020 is expected to be double the 2006 number, and the trend is expected to continue. In other words, the use of Dongjiang water as drinking water is becoming increasingly costly, which is undeniably increasing the burden on citizens.

．A waste of public money

According to source B, the government has been acquiring water in a ''package deal lump sum'' arrangement. This means that the Guangdong provincial authorities do not make a refund when the amount of water imported or used by Hong Kong people is lower than the upper limit. This has resulted in Hong Kong people paying for more than they have used. In spite of this, however, the Hong Kong government still has to buy Dongjiang water in accordance with the agreement, which is wasteful.

．Water shortage crisis

Dongjiang water is the primary source of Hong Kong's drinking water. If the Guangdong authorities are unable to supply the amount of water agreed due to reasons such as regional development, pollution at source or drought, Hong Kong might face a shortage of water supply. As shown in source B, Hong Kong's own water resources mainly come from natural rainfall, but water collected through the city's water gathering grounds is not sufficient to cope with local demand.

Text：徐溯，Liberal Studies teacher at Lok Sin Tong Leung Kau Kui College

Translation： Terence Yip

[通通識 第544期]