POLI0098 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

POLI0098 - Research Paper Example Together with Inner Deep Bay, the Reserve was listed among the ‘Wetland of International Importance’ in 1995 under the Ramsar Convention. In the past years, WWF has seen a significant increase in the volume of work required to maintain the habitat. The habitat is very crucial for the future of the many migratory birds every year. The Reserve is currently a point where remedial work has to be carried out in order to maintain its ecological importance. Management costs for the reserve are increasing rapidly and the yearly contribution of HK1.4 million from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is insufficient. In the fiscal year 2010, the Reserve management cost was set at HK6.6 million and the funding from the government was only about 22 percent of the management cost. Government funding has been successful in the United Kingdom in particular where the NGO’s are managing the land within the environmentally sensitive sites such as the Ramsar Sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interests. These sites receive between 50 and 100 percent funding for capital investments and approximately 50 percent for management of the habitats. WWF seeks HK$6 million per year for the next two years and HK$3.5 million for the third year. The funds needed for the subsequent years will be adjusted according to the Construction Inflation Index. This amount in funding will go a long way in bringing Hong Kong to a level with other countries’ funding of internationally significant habitats. It would also reflect the government’s commitment to the conservation of the important wetland habitat. The Big Bird Race event manages the Reserve and so far it has raised HK$30 million, this year seeking to raise HK$1.2 million (WWF-Hong Kong). The present government policy according to WWF is based on the public perceptions rather than actual scientific facts. It has not yet been proven that a human contracted