Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2007

Environment-friendly Water Source The University capitalizes on its abundant water sources. A hydraulic ram pumps nullah water to storage sites for irrigation and flushing. In 2003, Weiyuan Lake was deepened to increase its capacity by 2.6 million litres, and an automatic water-gate was installed to control the water level. At present, the lake supplies a decent 700,000 litres of water to the University per day, which is not only sufficient for watering the whole campus, but leaves enough for cooling its air-conditioning systems and flushing. 'At CUHK, there are well established committee structure and policies to ensure that a reasonable balance can be maintained between campus development and environmental conservation. These examples are proof that the existing mechanism is effective.' Prof. Prof. Michael Hui, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor Green Roof The Lady Shaw Building was covered with turf and planted with shrubs and trees in 2004. A once barren concrete space is now teeming with life and visitors. Roof greening has been popular in Europe and North America for quite some time. Besides creating a pleasant environment, green roofs also serve practical purposes such as reducing air-conditioning load on the top floor. The University has plans to green 60% of the roofs on campus. Eco Blocks Almost 2,000 m 2 of the University's roads have been repaved with eco blocks. These bricks are made from construction waste and can be easily removed to allow for underground repairs. They are also pleasing to the eye. What is more, every m 2 of pavement installation saves 25 kg of sand, 5 kg of concrete, and recycles 30 kg of concrete debris. More roads on campus will be paved with eco blocks in the future. 15 Local Actions Global Tasks