HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong and Guangdong, China's fastest growing province, unveiled aggressive targets on Monday to cut growing air pollution which is choking southern Chinese cities and spooking foreign investors.

Both areas are now shrouded in smog many days of the year after decades of booming economic growth in southern China's Pearl River Delta. Hong Kong's famous Victoria Harbour is often shrouded in haze and respiratory complaints are common.

Hong Kong chief secretary Donald Tsang said both governments agreed to cut emissions of sulphur dioxide by 40% by 2010, nitrogen oxides by 20%, respirable suspended particulates by 55% and volatile organic compounds by 55%.

"We cannot delay moves to improve air quality because it affects the daily lives of our citizens, the impression given to tourists and foreign investors, and the image of Hong Kong as a cosmopolitan city," Tsang told reporters at a briefing to present the report.

Tsang did not give many details on how the two sides would meet the ambitious targets, but said Hong Kong would study recommendations to switch to less-polluting fuels in power plants, and to cut down on emissions from factory smokestacks.

Up to 40 million people live in the Pearl River Delta, including about 7 million in Hong Kong, the former British colony which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

The Asian Development Bank warned in 2000 that worsening air pollution in Hong Kong posed health risks and hampered the territory's efforts to become a regional high-tech hub able to attract foreign talent.

Hong Kong fell to a distant sixth place in a recent business survey on the cities offering the best quality of life in Asia, while rival Singapore topped the list for the second year running. Respondents to the survey, by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, criticised the territory for its pollution problems and expensive housing.

The study released on Monday said pollution in the Pearl River Delta would only worsen if both governments did not do more.

By 2010, the regional economy is anticipated to grow by 150% and the population by 20%. Electricity consumption will surge 130% and vehicle mileage by 190%.

"The overall air pollutant emissions in the region will continue to increase if the two governments only implement their existing and committed air quality improvement measures," the government said in a statement. "The two governments...have to enhance cooperation and put in place additional improvement measures in the Pearl River Delta region to deal with the problem of regional air pollution."

Both sides also agreed to set up a joint body to monitor regional air quality and effectiveness of the measures.

Air pollution has become worse in recent years. In Hong Kong, visibility is sometimes as low as 2 kilometres (1.3 miles) and authorities regularly issue advisories for those with health problems to stay indoors.

In 1999, US$462 million was spent in Hong Kong on treatment of respiratory ailments, most of which were aggravated by air pollution, according to medical sources.

Authorities in Guangdong are increasingly worried, too. In 2001, it spent 23.4 billion yuan (US$2.9 billion) in cleaning up pollution, three-quarters of which went into the Pearl River Delta.

That figure is up from 20 billion yuan in 2000 and just 10 billion yuan in 1999.

Reference Source 89

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