Air pollution in Hong Kong is considered a serious problem. Visibility is currently less than eight kilometres for 30% of the year. Cases of asthma and bronchial infections have soared in recent years due to reduced air quality.

Hong Kong has been facing two air pollution issues. One is local street-level pollution. The other is the regional smog problem. Diesel vehicles are the main source of street-level pollution. Smog, however, is caused by a combination of pollutants from motor vehicles, industry and power plants both in Hong Kong and in the Pearl River Delta region.

Residents of HK are often reminded that Guangzhou and the factories in the Guangdong area is the source of this problem, and, while this is true to an extent it doesn’t really tell the full story. Hong Kong has the world’s highest traffic density as well as coal burning power plants, which contribute an estimated 50% to the total level of pollution. That said, pollution from China is a major problem and the worst days of air pollution in Hong Kong are usually due to wind blowing the smog over Hong Kong from China.

This picture was taken on the Plover Cove Reservoir dam wall into the direction of harbour. Silhouette of residential blocks can be seen amidst the heavy smog.