Location: Hong Kong
Clients:
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the HKSAR Government
Civil Engineering and Development Department of the HKSAR Government
Project overview
Long Valley Nature Park (LVNP), situated in the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North areas of Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis, is a key initiative that brings together wetland conservation, sustainable farming, and nature education to support urban-rural integration. Historically, the area was fragmented by private land ownership, limiting conservation efforts. Meanwhile, some farmlands were left abandoned or planted with species that degraded the wetland habitats.
The site is ecologically significant, being a mosaic of wet and dry agricultural land, marshes, ponds and channels that together form the largest freshwater wetland in Hong Kong, supporting significant biodiversity resources. Restoration and management efforts aim to improve habitat quality and support eco-agriculture. AECOM was engaged due to the project’s complexity and the need for integrated expertise in ecology, water quality, landscape design and construction.
Our services has transformed Long Valley into a resilient, high-performing ecosystem that now attracts a growing abundance and number of bird species, enhancing the site’s ecological and social values and contributing to regional conservation goals.
#Nature+inAction
Overall bird abundance has increased by approximately 20 to 40 percent across seasons, with substantial growth observed in Buntings and Black‑winged Stilts.*
The site produced the first significant records of Hong Kong’s Latham’s Snipe and Long Valley’s Lapland Longspur, together with a new dragonfly species, Tramea basilaris.*
The wetland area has been enlarged by about 8 hectares.
Irrigation water from Sheung Yue River was naturally enhanced through a treatment wetland system comprising a sedimentation pond, a macrophyte zone and an open water zone.
What makes this project nature-positive?
- Measurable gains in biodiversity performance provides a key reference point for future environmental planning across the broader Northern Metropolis development
- Winner of the NEC Martin Barnes Awards 2024 for demonstrating carbon dioxide reduction initiatives toward net-zero
- Engagement with multiple key stakeholders facilitated sustainable agricultural production, eco-education and nature-based tourism
Our Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Design Principles in action
Foundation 1: Maximizing structural diversity (physical complexity) of an ecosystem
To enhance biodiversity and ecological function, our design maximizes structural diversity at multiple scales. At the macro scale, we analyzed ecological baselines regionally and locally, including habitat connectivity across Deep Bay. This informed the creation of a rich mosaic of wetland habitats, including shallow ponds, marshes, wet and dry agricultural land and paddy fields.
At the meso scale, we tailored habitat types to support a wide range of wetland-dependent species, including waterbirds, amphibians and insects. Each habitat was carefully designed with appropriate water depths and native wetland vegetation to meet the ecological needs of these species.
At the micro scale, we introduced nature-inspired features like gabion walls and animal-friendly structures in irrigation channels. These elements enhance surface complexity, provide refuge for herpetofauna and support plant growth. These interventions foster a physically complex environment that supports long-term ecological health, functional diversity and species richness.
Foundation 2: Delivering symbiotic built and natural environments
Our design maximizes societal benefits, providing a broad range of regulating, provisioning, supporting and cultural ecosystem services that benefit people and the environment. The restored farmland not only provides an important biodiversity resources, it also supports seasonal crop production, with harvests donated to those in need since mid-2021. Government-led eco-tours further foster conservation awareness and community engagement, with over 5,000 visitors recorded as of November 2024.
The overall design of the Long Valley Nature Park is responsive to the surrounding landscapes and development context, taking into consideration the important role it will play as a key open space for residents of the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Towns, and providing appropriate facilities for these potential visitors. Equally important is the zoning of Long Valley Nature Park into three distinct areas: a Biodiversity Zone, where restored wetlands provide essential habitats; an Agriculture Zone, supporting eco-friendly farming and local food production; and a Visitor Zone, offering educational and recreational opportunities. This zoning plan effectively balances people’s enjoyment of the park, while minimizing disturbance to wildlife and farmers.
This spatial planning enables the built and natural environments not only to coexist, but to actively support one another, facilitating sustainable use and long-term planning of shared landscapes.
Foundation 3: Embedding resilience functions
Resilience is at the core of our nature-based solutions, ensuring ecosystems can adapt and thrive amid environmental and social challenges. In particular, increasing and improving habitat connectivity can help strengthen nature resilience, providing larger and less fragmented landscapes that are more resilient to natural and man-made changes and impacts. The Long Valley Nature Park is being planned with other important wetland habitats that together will form the larger Northern Metropolis Wetland Conservation Park System.
To enhance climate resilience, access to water has been improved by extending the existing limited network of irrigation channels to cover the entire park area, ensuring all wetlands can be maintained throughout the year, even during dry periods. Moreover, a natural filtration system was introduced through a sequence of wetland zones: sedimentation ponds to capture coarse materials, a vegetated macrophyte zone to filter pollutants, and an open water zone where sunlight naturally disinfects the water. This integrated system enhances both habitat and water quality.
Socio-economic resilience is supported by reactivating underused farmland and involving local farmers who adopt eco-friendly practices. Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) was also used to provide essential facilities with minimal cost and environmental impact.
A framework for sustainable coexistence
Long Valley’s transformation offers a blueprint for how conservation and development can look across Hong Kong’s diverse ecosystems. Nature-based solutions, supported by community and government engagement, enable us to deliver both ecological and societal benefits, and demonstrate how progress and nature can not only coexist but mutually reinforce one another.
*Source: Hong Kong Bird Watching Society
Photo credit: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Civil Engineering and Development Department
Learn more from our nature-positive experts
Design Principles for High-performance Ecosystems
This document discusses how to plan and design high-performance ecosystems. By enabling high-performance, we can enhance the environmental benefits of all projects, whether they involve infrastructure systems in urban centers or natural habitats in the hinterlands.
The Natural Capital Manifesto
The Natural Capital Manifesto, inspired by AECOM’s recent project in Bintan, highlights the need for ‘nature-positive’ corporate goals and stresses the importance of data monitoring and natural capital quantification for sustainable opportunities.
Press release
AECOM supports CEDD and AFCD of HKSAR Government in launching Hong Kong’s first comprehensive nature-based solutions guidelines.