According to the Hong Kong Government’s Northern Metropolis Development Strategy (NMDS), an area of 300 km² (almost 4 Hong Kong Islands) in Yuen Long and North Districts will undergo massive development in the next 20 years, with ambitious targets like building 200 thousand residential units, a large-scale technopole, railway extensions etc.  

While farmland is a man-made habitat, it is home to many wildlife, some become so dependent on farmlands this ecosystem is critical for their survival. We are conducting biodiversity assessment at 9 selected farmland sites within the NM, and within a short span of six months, we already recorded 151 bird species (27% of Hong Kong total), including 29 species of conservation concern, such as the globally "Critically Endangered" Yellow-breasted Bunting (please [click here] for the interim report). Our survey also confirmed the importance of farmlands for numerous species of dragonflies, butterflies, amphibians and reptiles.

We recommend:

• Conserve ecologically significant farmlands in the New Territories North. Sites of particular importance are the Sandy Ridge farmland-wetland mosaic, as well as the Tai Po Tin - Chow Tin farming landscape to preserve our traditional agricultural landscape, and the numerous farmland-dependent wildlife.
• Establish a Greenway Network across the NM encompassing a system of pedestrian walkways, cycling tracks, hiking trails, wildlife bridge/underpass, green belts and well-managed preserves, linking important natural, agricultural and cultural features for conservation, education and recreation purposes.