An evaluation of the Hong Kong Geopark : to what extent does it promote sustainable human development?

Abstract: This thesis evaluates the objective of the Hong Kong Geopark as promoting sustainable socio-economic development with a case study of Sum Mun Tsai Village, a village adjacent to the Geopark. The research focuses on the human development aspect of sustainable development, since the Geopark is not only concerned with promoting economic development, but also with the social dimension of sustainability. The study analyses the case with insights from Sen’s Capability Approach. Two aspects of freedom were analyzed, process freedom and opportunity freedom. Process freedom refers to the avenues for democratic decision-making and opportunity freedom to the ability of local people to actualize their own socio-economic development, according to their own values. Empirical data were collected through literature reviews, participant observations and semi-structured interviews with the local residents and the Tai Po Environmental Association, a local environmental NGO engaged in the development of the Hong Kong Geopark. Relevant legislative and policy documents were also collected and examined. The low level of community engagement in the decision-making process indicates that the local residents enjoy very limited process freedom in the governance of the Geopark. On the other hand, the increase in income, the acquisition of new skills and the discovery of capabilities that they already had, all indicate that the opportunity freedom has been increased. The Geopark has not been successful in supporting process freedom, but it has made important contributions to human development as it supports opportunity freedom even though this is not a specific policy goal. It is therefore suggested that the government ought to actively engage the community in the decision-making process, in order to fully support human capability and achieve a truly sustainable human development.