The Pearl River Estuary pollution project (PREPP)

The Pearl River Estuary pollution project (PREPP) was conceived at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) during the 1996 to 1998 period to complement some ongoing work by the Government of the Hong Kong SAR on water quality issues in Hong Kong waters. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust provided HK$18 (or US$2.3) million for a three-year period (January 1999 to December 2001, later extended to June 2002). PREPP was also a Chief Executive's Community Project. Some additional co-funding was also obtained. It was carried out by a team of HKUST staff in collaboration with several institutes in Mainland China, primarily from Guangdong Province. Overall, the workload was shared approximately equally between HKUST and Mainland China staff. Dramatic economic and population growth in recent years in the Pearl River Region have resulted in significant increases in the river transport of substances such as sediment, nutrients, pesticides, petro-products and heavy metals to the South China Sea. However, it is difficult to determine whether these loadings have resulted in the deterioration of, or will significantly threaten, water quality or ecological and human health in part or all of the PRE, even though Hong Kong has been exposed to a rising number of marine environmental threats, such as the increased frequency of harmful algal blooms. The objective of PREPP was to build upon the existing knowledge, using a combination of carefully designed field studies, laboratory experiments and model studies to gain a much better understanding of the status, as well as the influence of the riverine loadings on the estuarine environment and ecosystem of the estuary. The resulting increased database and new scientific findings will provide a new level of understanding and an increased predictive capability regarding pollutants in the estuary. The goal of PREPP was that this information should serve as part of the scientific basis for the HKSAR and Guangdong Province to refine their pollution monitoring and control strategies.