11 Apr 2022
Dr. Kenny Siu’s Sharing on Sing Pao Column – SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation for all. According to a study by the United Nations, there are still about 2 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean water, and most of them are in developing countries. In Hong Kong, people enjoy an endless supply of freshwater by just turning on the faucet with a relatively cheap water charge among the world’s countries and regions.
A report released by the Office of the Ombudsman revealed that the leakage rate of piping in Hong Kong is as high as 15.2%, which is far more serious than neighbouring areas. If the leakage rate can be reduced to around 5% as similar to Singapore, 96 million cubic metre of water supplied can be saved, which is equivalent to $0.53 billion Dongjiang Water charge.