Seminar on Potable Water Resources: Empowering Communities Through Education
On 26 September, HKUST hosted a thought-provoking event featuring a Water Conservation Seminar and a Demonstration of the Sustainable Smart Campus as a Living Lab (SSC) projects. The event welcomed 160 participants including students and teachers from three secondary schools and two primary schools, alongside with students, staff and alumni from HKUST.
The event began with a special lecture that included a screening of the compelling documentary called “尋源之路”which was filmed by TVB. It traces the historical journey of Dongjiang water, the development of Hong Kong’s reservoirs, and the complex water transport systems that have supported the city’s growth. This visual narrative set the stage for deeper discussions on the importance of water conservation and responsible resource management.
Following the screening, the lecture continued with insights from distinguished speakers, including:
Mr Jason Lee, Senior Engineer / Resource Planning Unit at Water Supplies Department (WSD) covered sources of water supply for Hong Kong, what the community can do in terms of conscious water usage in the wider community such as taking shorter showers and using recycled water.
Ir Dr HF Chan, BBS, Chairman of Drinking Water Safety Advisory Committee at Development Bureau, covered water quality sampling methods, materials used in the water supply network, and how it influenced water quality, as well as what the community can do to monitor and enhance drinking water quality.
Ir Edwin Fung, Technical Director, Land Supply /Municipal at AECOM, covered climate resilience risk from typhoons and flooding, as well as mitigation measures such as the use of water sensitive urban design like bioswales and raingardens for flood mitigation and enhancing freshwater ecosystems.
Dr Muhammad Wagar, Project leader for the ‘Smart Water Network’ project under Sustainable Smart Campus as a Living Lab programme at HKUST introduced a water leakage detection technology using waves and how this is being used in HKUST, as well as extending to the external organizations such as the Airport Authority and WSD for good water management of the underground water network. These potentially minimise water wastage by 10-30% and showcased the University’s effort in supporting off-campus water conservation.
The special lecture provided participants, especially the local community with valuable knowledge on good water management, reinforcing HKUST’s commitment in actively supporting off-campus water conservation and promoting conscious water usage on campus and the wider community in Hong Kong. In addition, it provided the local community knowledge on fresh-water ecosystems in terms of water management and conservation. By engaging both students and educators, the event aimed to foster a culture of awareness and responsibility around water resources and sustainable development.
After the lecture, participants joined a campus tour featuring presentations by other SSC project leaders. These included the Oyster Habitats for Water Quality and Biodiversity project by Team Orz, which addressed sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism while raising awareness on the consequences of overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as destructive fishing practices.
Another project, Revolutionising Food Waste Management with Black Soldier Flies by BSF Innovation was also showcased, alongside with a site visit to seeing reusable lunchbox vending machines to reduce single-use disposable boxes for takeaway food on campus, as well as some of our solar panels installed on our buildings.
This seminar exemplifies the integration of education for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) both on campus and within the wider community, including HKUST staff and local residents.
Finally, we would like to thank our distinguished speakers for taking the time to join us amidst their busy schedules. We would also like to thank ©Television Broadcasts Limited for generously allowing us to use its news program, “尋源之路”.
