{"id":14496,"date":"2026-09-21T15:02:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T07:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/?page_id=14496"},"modified":"2026-09-22T12:07:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T04:07:12","slug":"integrating-social-and-ecological-value-a-feasibility-study-for-a-pilot-forest-restoration-project-in-the-northern-metropolis","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/integrating-social-and-ecological-value-a-feasibility-study-for-a-pilot-forest-restoration-project-in-the-northern-metropolis\/","title":{"rendered":"Integrating Social and Ecological Value:  A Feasibility Study for a Pilot Forest Restoration Project  in the Northern Metropolis"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"14496\" class=\"elementor elementor-14496\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-62a32661 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"62a32661\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2bd835d9\" data-id=\"2bd835d9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-667b86e elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"667b86e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-column .elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--spacer-size)}.e-con{--container-widget-width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer{width:var(--container-widget-width,var(--spacer-size));--align-self:var(--container-widget-align-self,initial);--flex-shrink:0}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer{height:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--container-widget-height,var(--spacer-size))}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6c8208 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d6c8208\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><strong>P<\/strong><b>roject Team:<\/b> Dr. Winnie LAW, Ms. Katie CHICK, Mr. Darwin LEUNG, Ms. Daisy YEUNG, Dr. Vivian CHU, Dr. Jessica Marie WILLIAMS<\/p>\n<p><strong>R<\/strong><b>esearch Collaborators:<\/b>&nbsp;Dr. Billy HAU, Mr. Wander MEIJER, Dr. Stephan GALE, Dr. MANG Lung Cheuk, Dr. Luke BRANDER, Dr. Fernanda CARDOSO, Ms. Kate MARTIN, Ms. Ada LAM, Ms. Pearlie YIU<\/p>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70b0111e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70b0111e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\">Background of Feasibility Study<\/span><\/strong><\/h5><p>As Nature-based Solutions (NbS) become increasingly central to climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban development, <strong>forest restoration<\/strong> <strong>should be viewed\u00a0<\/strong><strong>not as isolated tree planting, but as a strategic, landscape-scale form of green infrastructure<\/strong>. A connected network of restored forest sites can enhance ecological resilience, improve community well-being, and generate measurable environmental, social, cultural, and economic value.<\/p><p>The long-term success of restoration also depends on <strong>people, governance, and shared stewardship<\/strong>. Forests are more likely to thrive when communities understand, value, and actively participate in their restoration and management. Community benefits and stakeholder ownership are therefore not peripheral outcomes\u2014they are core conditions for scalability and long-term impact.<\/p><p>Against this backdrop, the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong (HKU-CCSG), in collaboration with Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden and a multidisciplinary team of experts in ecology, urban planning, environmental economics, and sustainable finance, is undertaking the <strong><em>Feasibility Study for a Pilot Forest Restoration Project in the Northern Metropolis (NM) <\/em><\/strong>(hereafter \u201cthe Study\u201d).<\/p><p>The Study examines how forest restoration at the Tit Hang pilot, alongside <strong>five other potential restoration sites<\/strong>, can be advanced through a Forest Park network vision\u2014shifting from a standalone restoration effort to\u00a0<strong>a wider terrestrial NbS system for Hong Kong<\/strong>. The proposed system aims to restore degraded hillsides while generating\u00a0<strong>investable, policy-relevant, and community-centred value<\/strong>\u00a0through nature-based tourism, education, wellness, and volunteering programmes. In doing so, the Study seeks to demonstrate how forest restoration can be\u00a0<strong>designed, financed, and governed<\/strong>\u00a0as a scalable NbS model for Hong Kong.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7522c0a9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7522c0a9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>Figure 1: A Scalable NbS Model with Five Potential Forest Restoration Sites<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6e2071d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6e2071d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1360\" src=\"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5-Sites.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-14521\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5-Sites.png 1920w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5-Sites-300x213.png 300w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5-Sites-1024x725.png 1024w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5-Sites-768x544.png 768w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5-Sites-1536x1088.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-251f6b6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"251f6b6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>Image source: satellite image sourced from Google Earth, with Outline Zoning Plan and land use designations accessed from Development Bureau, Home Affairs Department and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of HKSAR Government.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4db3e4a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4db3e4a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>Figure 2: Tit Hang Selected as Pilot Site\u00a0<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71a7694 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"71a7694\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1360\" src=\"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tit-Hang.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-14527\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tit-Hang.png 1920w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tit-Hang-300x213.png 300w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tit-Hang-1024x725.png 1024w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tit-Hang-768x544.png 768w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tit-Hang-1536x1088.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-205e338 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"205e338\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div><p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Image source: prepared by KFBG<\/span><\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84e94cc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"84e94cc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Study adopts a comprehensive evaluation framework structured around\u00a0<strong>six workstreams<\/strong>, including:<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><ul><li><strong>Biodiversity enhancement<\/strong> \u2013 assessment of ecological improvements between the site\u2019s current degraded conditions and its projected state after restoration;<\/li><li><strong>Community benefits<\/strong> \u2013 assessment of potential social and well-being impacts on local communities, communities of interest and the wider society;<\/li><li><strong>Existence and recreational value<\/strong> \u2013 assessment of the benefits people derive simply from knowing restored ecosystems exist and from visiting them, quantified through valuation survey and the travel cost methodology;<\/li><li><strong>Carbon sequestration<\/strong> \u2013 estimation of carbon sequestration potential referencing established research;<\/li><li><strong>Implementation costs and cost-benefit analysis<\/strong> \u2013 assessment of net present value to demonstrate that long-term benefits outweigh front-loaded investment costs;<\/li><li><strong>Investment case<\/strong> \u2013 development of a business case capable of attracting support from philanthropic capital, impact investors, public funding, and potentially carbon- and biodiversity-related finance mechanisms.<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Taken together, these workstreams provide the basis for evaluating the Tit Hang pilot as both a site-specific restoration project and a potential model for wider application across the Northern Metropolis.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cbe3526 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cbe3526\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"><b><u><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Forest Park in the Northern Metropolis as Hong Kong\u2019s Largest Terrestrial NbS<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Building on the above premises, the Study advances a Forest Park vision for the NM:<\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> <b><span style=\"background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">a connected network of restored forest landscapes that functions as strategic green infrastructure<\/span><\/b><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">. The vision supports ecological resilience, community well-being, cultural continuity, and regional connectivity through four levels of integration.<\/span><b><\/b><\/span><\/p><p style=\"margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">1.<span style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/b><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">Integrate Feng Shui Woods into major NM developments<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\"><br \/>Position restored forest systems as the Northern Metropolis\u2019 modern Fung Shui Woods \u2014 a landscape-scale NbS that consolidates fragmented restoration efforts and mitigates hill fire, flooding, heat and landslide risks.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">2.<span style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/b><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">Integrate biodiversity enhancement with social and community value<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\"><br \/>Move beyond ecological restoration to generate broader public value, using green corridors and linkages to connect San Tin Technopole, the Lok Ma Chau Loop and residential areas with restored forest landscapes.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">3.<span style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/b><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">Integrate new NM populations and Indigenous villages<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\"><br \/>Use the forest network as a shared green lung that connects future urban centres with village landscapes, strengthening stewardship, social cohesion and place identity.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">4.<span style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/b><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">Integrate the NM with the Greater Bay Area forest park agenda<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\"><br \/>Establish Hong Kong\u2019s first Forest Park network in parallel with Shenzhen and wider Greater Bay Area (GBA) initiatives, laying the foundation for the Northern Metropolis T<span style=\"background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">rail<\/span><\/span><span lang=\"ZH-TW\" style=\"font-family: PMingLiU, serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">\uff08\u5317\u90fd\u5f91\uff09<\/span><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">and a scalable NbS policy and investment model.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f57ec7b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f57ec7b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>Figure 3: Illustrative Diagram Showing the Feng Shui Woods and Forest Park Concept<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-12e8d67 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"12e8d67\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1360\" src=\"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Feng-Shui-Woods-and-Forest-Park.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-14523\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Feng-Shui-Woods-and-Forest-Park.png 1920w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Feng-Shui-Woods-and-Forest-Park-300x213.png 300w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Feng-Shui-Woods-and-Forest-Park-1024x725.png 1024w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Feng-Shui-Woods-and-Forest-Park-768x544.png 768w, https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Feng-Shui-Woods-and-Forest-Park-1536x1088.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7217c89 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7217c89\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div><p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Image source: adapted from the image accessed from Development Bureau of HKSAR Government<\/span><\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4f8cb58 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4f8cb58\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b><u><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Building a Community Benefit Assessment Framework<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">While the Forest Park vision provides a strategic framework for landscape-scale restoration, its long-term success depends on whether restoration can deliver meaningful, measurable, and locally relevant community benefits. Nevertheless, assessing these outcomes remains a methodological challenge, largely because no widely adopted framework currently exists for comprehensively and systematically evaluating the socio-economic, cultural, and well-being impacts of forest restoration initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Although existing frameworks and standards, such as the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions and Hong Kong\u2019s Nature-based Solutions Design Guidelines, acknowledge the importance of social benefits, stakeholder participation, inclusive governance, and equity, they do not set out dedicated well-being domains and indicators for systematic assessment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">To address this gap, HKU-CCSG developed <b>a transferable <\/b>Community Benefit Assessment (CommBA) framework as a core output of the Study. The framework is designed to assess the community-level implications of forest restoration and related NbS programmes, and to support future NbS planning, implementation, adaptive management, stakeholder dialogue, evidence-based decision-making, and impact monitoring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Drawing on an extensive literature review and stakeholder input, the HKU-CCSG team created a <\/span><font face=\"Arial, sans-serif\"><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.133333px;\"><b>CommBA<\/b><\/span><\/font><b style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;\">&nbsp;Wheel<\/b><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;\">, which organises community benefits into <\/span><b style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;\">five dimensions and 13 subdimensions. <\/b><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;\">These dimensions capture the principal pathways through which forest restoration may contribute to community well-being, with each subdimension supported by relevant indicators and measures drawn from established literature and validated assessment instruments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Adopting a participatory approach, the framework represents one of the first attempts in Hong Kong and the region to systematically assess the community-level outcomes of forest restoration and related programmes. Quantitative data are used to identify patterns and track changes over time, while qualitative evidence helps capture people\u2019s lived experiences, priorities, and concerns. The assessment is also informed by expert judgement through a <b>Delphi<\/b> <b>process.<\/b><\/span> <span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Together, community views, lived experiences, and local knowledge form the foundation of the assessment, while expert input supports the interpretation of findings and helps evaluate the wider significance of observed changes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Following ground-truthing through the Tit Hang pilot and other near-term restoration initiatives, the CommBA framework will be refined for wider application across ecological restoration and NbS contexts. Over time, it is intended to evolve from a project-level assessment framework into <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">a decision-support tool for project proponents, government agencies, impact investors and non-profit organisations<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">, helping ensure that future NbS projects are not only ecologically sound, but also socially responsive, evidence-led and capable of delivering lasting societal value.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><u><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Stakeholder Engagement is a Key Enabler<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">Stakeholder engagement is a core component of the Study and the development of the <\/span><font face=\"Arial, sans-serif\"><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.133333px;\">CommBA<\/span><\/font><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;\">&nbsp;framework. Given that forest restoration is shaped by the relationship between people and place, engagement is essential for understanding local values, needs, concerns, sensitivities and potential trade-offs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">The engagement process serves five main purposes: <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 2.0cm; text-indent: -1.0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;\">(i)<span style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/b><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Introduce and explain<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> the proposed forest restoration initiative at Tit Hang;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 2.0cm; text-indent: -1.0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;\">(ii)<span style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/b><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Identify stakeholders\u2019 perceptions<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> of potential benefits, concerns, sensitivities and trade-offs associated with the proposed restoration initiative;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 2.0cm; text-indent: -1.0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;\">(iii)<span style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/b><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Validate and refine<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> the proposed <\/span><font face=\"Arial, sans-serif\">CommBA<\/font><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -1cm;\">&nbsp;dimensions, indicators, and assessment approaches through stakeholder feedback;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 2.0cm; text-indent: -1.0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;\">(iv)<span style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/b><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Assess stakeholders\u2019 willingness and capacity<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> to participate in project implementation, stewardship, monitoring, and governance; and <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 2.0cm; text-indent: -1.0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;\">(v)<span style=\"font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/b><b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Foster shared understanding, trust, and informed support<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> among stakeholders to strengthen the long-term sustainability of restoration initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">Engagement covered three stakeholder tiers: <b>the local community<\/b>, including villagers, Indigenous representatives, nearby farms and local schools; <b>communities of interest<\/b>, including green groups, professional bodies, education providers and sustainable tourism operators; and <b>the public sector<\/b>, including government departments responsible for planning, conservation, infrastructure and site management. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">Between May and August 2026, nine engagement activities were conducted with over 70 participants, comprising three interviews and site visits with local stakeholders, two focus group meetings with communities of interest, and four meetings with relevant government departments and bureaux, including the Highways Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, and the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office under the Development Bureau.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; letter-spacing: .1pt;\">Stakeholder engagement findings reveal strong social licence and clear strategic support for the proposed Tit Hang pilot. Stakeholders recognised forest restoration, within the Forest Park network vision, as a high-impact opportunity to enhance biodiversity, strengthen ecological connectivity, improve community well-being, and advance the wider NbS agenda within the Northern Metropolis. The pilot also offers a timely and practical contribution to broader national and regional policy priorities, including ecological civilisation, the National Forest City initiative, and the Beautiful China Initiative.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><u><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\">Next Steps<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">The Executive Summary of the Feasibility Study Report is expected to be released by the end of 2026. Further details will be announced in due course.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4497f2f elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"4497f2f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bcfa3d1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bcfa3d1\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9be3dd2\" data-id=\"9be3dd2\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Project Team: Dr. Winnie LAW, Ms. Katie CHICK, Mr. Darwin LEUNG, Ms. Daisy YEUNG, Dr. Vivian CHU, Dr. Jessica Marie WILLIAMS Research Collaborators:\u00a0Dr. Billy HAU, Mr. Wander MEIJER, Dr. Stephan GALE, Dr. MANG Lung Cheuk, Dr. Luke BRANDER, Dr. Fernanda CARDOSO, Ms. Kate MARTIN, Ms. Ada LAM, Ms. Pearlie YIU &nbsp; Background of Feasibility Study [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":14551,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"inside.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14496"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14496"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14577,"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14496\/revisions\/14577"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}