雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】IN the next three years, the cost of Dongjiang water will continue to go up $200 million a year. The government has said it has no plan to raise water charges. Therefore, though Dongjiang water will cost Hong Kong more, citizens will not be charged more. On the face of it, the government is solicitous of citizens. However, as the money paid to the Guangdong authorities comes from the public purse, it is the taxpayer that will bear the cost. Because the central government looks after Hong Kong, we have no lack of water, and water is cheap here. Therefore, Hong Kong people tend to use a lot of water, and some even waste it. This is a big concern.

英語

未來3年，供港東江水的水價每年遞增約2億元，政府隨即表明無計劃增加水費，所以水價雖增，市民用水支出不加；表面上，好像政府體恤市民，不過，由公帑支付，實際上仍然由納稅人分攤。更值得關注的是，香港得到中央關顧，用水不缺，而且費用廉宜，導致市民耗水近乎揮霍浪費。

普通話

According to a report the International Water Association released in 2010, per capita water consumption in Hong Kong was as much as 220 litres a day, much higher than the world figure (about 170 litres a day). Hong Kong ranked tenth in the world. In 2008, the Water Supplies Department commissioned a consultancy to carry out a study. The experts came to a similar conclusion. According to them, one reason why Hong Kong people use too much water is that it is cheap here. A cubic metre of water is charged on average at about $4.1 in Hong Kong, but as much as $8 in Singapore. The experts therefore recommended that the government raise water charges.

英語

據國際水協2010年所發表數據，港人人均每日用水量高達220公升，全球排名第10，遠高於全球每日人均約170公升用水量。2008年，水務署委託顧問專家做研究，也得出同樣結果，當時專家指出，港人耗水量過高，水費低廉是主要原因之一，本港平均每立方米水費約4.1元，新加坡則高達8元，因此，顧問專家建議政府調高水費。

普通話

The government has indeed done much to ensure Hong Kong people have no lack of water. Thanks to the central government, Hong Kong is supplied with Dongjiang water. Moreover, the government has set apart a piece of land in Tseung Kwan O for building a medium-sized seawater desalination plant. It will carry out a study and formulate a detailed plan in the next three years. The plant is expected to supply 50 million cubic metres a year, and its capacity could be boosted to 90 million cubic metres a year, more than 10% of Hong Kong's yearly water consumption.

英語

政府為確保港人用水不缺，確實做了不少工夫，除了中央關顧東江水，政府在將軍澳預留土地，興建一座中型海水化淡廠，未來3年做詳細規劃研究，每年產量預計至少會有5000萬立方米，估計可提升至9000萬立方米，約佔本港用水量超過一成。

普通話

Like Hong Kong, Singapore lacks water resources. It has to buy water from Malaysia. The current water supply treaty between Singapore and Malaysia expires in 2061. Singapore's ultimate aim is to ensure that Singaporeans will not lack water even if Malaysia stops providing the country with it in five decades. Water resources have everything to do with a country's survival. Therefore, the government of Singapore has formulated a long-term strategy. It has come up with many policy measures for finding water sources and for encouraging the efficient use of water. It has laid down many water-saving rules. That is why per capita water consumption in Singapore is 155 litres a day, lower than the world average (170 litres a day).

英語

新加坡與香港一樣水源不足，要向馬來西亞購買食用水，但是新加坡沒有香港般幸運，星洲與馬國所訂供水條約，2061年到期，因此，新加坡的終極目標，就是若50年後不再獲得馬來西亞供水，新加坡要有足夠水源供國人所需。由於水資源關乎國家存亡絕續，新加坡政府以長遠戰略角度，制訂開拓和最有效使用水資源的政策措施。其中節約用水方面，新加坡有不少硬性規定。新加坡每日人均耗水量155公升，低於全球平均170公升，就是這樣得來的。

普通話

Nevertheless, Singapore would not rest on its laurels. Its government has continued to launch water-saving campaigns. It has, for example, introduced the 10% Challenge. It wants every Singaporean to use 10% less water a day so that per capita daily water consumption in the country will fall 15 litres to 140 litres.

英語

新加坡政府對此並不滿足，仍在努力推動節水運動，給國民訂出目標，包括名為「10%挑戰」的運動，要每名國民致力每日節水一成，爭取人均用水量每日減至140公升，比現在再減15公升。

普通話

Singapore's ways of managing its water resources seem rather drastic to outsiders. Thanks to the central government's help, Hong Kong need not worry about any water shortage. However, it is irresponsible to use water lavishly or wastefully. To encourage Hong Kong people to save water, the government should take a two-pronged approach. First, it should strictly adhere to the "user pays" principle and charge more where water consumption is unreasonable. Second, it should launch a long-term water-saving campaign. For example, it should make it a goal to bring per capita daily water consumption in the SAR down 10% or 15% in ten years.

英語

新加坡處理水資源，外間看來認為較為嚴厲。香港得到國家關顧，沒有斷水後顧之憂，但是大手大腳、近乎浪費的用水方式，是不負責任做法。政府應該雙管齊下，推動節約用水：一是厲行用者自付原則，對不合理用水加徵收費；二是推行長期節約用水，訂定指標，例如10年內，要把港人每日人均用水量減少10%至15%等。

普通話

明報社評 2011.10.21

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Wience Lai

Lecturer, Hong Kong Community College, PolyU

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=928

焦妮娜

香港專上學院講師

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?cms=1484&lang=big5

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