More and more Hongkongers are fond of farming, so that farmlands that have been lying useless are now being reclaimed, and organic farms are springing up. The number of holiday farmers is also on the rise.

But does that mean the local agricultural industry is undergoing a revival? What problems have local farmers run into? And, in spite of the difficulties, why do young people still want to join the industry?

According to the 2021 'Hong Kong Mental Health Index' survey, the average mental health score of Hong Kong residents is 48.03, indicating a low level. Clinical psychologists emphasize that emotional issues, which were previously overlooked by many, can have significant consequences for individuals and their families if left unaddressed. It is crucial for individuals to seek support and cultivate a healthy relationship with their emotions when confronting mental health challenges.

Currently, there are 173 Grade 1, 342 Grade 2 and 518 Grade 3 historic buildings in Hong Kong. However, many of the preserved buildings have been converted for commercial use in the name of "conservation and revitalization", resulting in the loss of their original community value and some have even been entirely removed and rebuilt elsewhere. In addition to revitalization for commercial use, what else can be done to preserve historic buildings? Is the current practice of categorizing historic buildings into three grades good enough?

Adapting to the new normal during the pandemic, Hong Kong people who are fond of travelling abroad during holidays reluctantly stay in the city amid travel restrictions. While hiking has become an increasingly popular leisure activity for the general public, it comes with a surge in the number of injuries and deaths involving hikers. In particular, the missing person incidents involving solo hikers have raised public concern.

Rescue personnel coming from different agencies, including the Fire Services Department, the Civil Aid Service, the Government Flying Service, etc. perform their duties while joining forces to conduct search and rescue operations. As the sooner the rescue teams locate the missing person, the higher the survival chance of the victim, rescuers make every effort to conduct searches based on the scarce clues gathered from the sources.

On the other hand, "Enjoy Hiking" app, co-developed by the Communications Association of Hong Kong and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, was launched in 2013 to raise public awareness of hiking safety. Hikers are encouraged to install the app and activate its "Hiker Tracking Service" function before setting off. In case of emergency, the tracking location data recorded and shared with rescuers can help identify possible locations of casualties.

In recent years, Hong Kong's birth rate has remained low and many couples who decide to have children, do so after careful consideration. However, not every pregnancy goes smoothly and many expectant mothers have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth.

In the past, some people believed that miscarried foetuses were not yet formed and could not be considered "life," even treating them as medical waste, neglecting the impact of miscarriage on bereaved parents and their need for support. In the 2018 Policy Address, the Hong Kong government announced the construction of the "Garden of Forever Love" to provide facilities for handling abortuses. In September of 2022, the "Home of Forever Love" was established to provide cremation services for abortuses, with the hope of helping affected families. There are also various groups in the community that offer counselling and support to bereaved parents. For these parents, their love for their deceased child lives on.

The average daily municipal solid waste disposal per person in 2020 was 1.44 kilograms, of which only 28% could be recycled. The Government announced the “Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035” in February 2021. The Blueprint sets a target of gradually reducing the per capita disposal rate by 40% to 45% through implementing municipal solid waste charging, and increasing recycling rates to approximately 55%.

With sufficient waste-to-energy facilities, it is hoped that Hong Kong will be able to break its dependency on landfills in the long run. The government has taken measures such as supporting the recycling industry, expanding the community recycling network, and implementing the Pilot Scheme on "Collection and Recycling Services of Plastic Recyclable Materials" to achieve "Waste Reduction, Eco-Transformation". Can a combination of these measures cultivate recycling habits among citizens?

The Transport Department launched the Driving on Lantau Island scheme in 2016, which received a warm response. In 2021, the authorities proposed doubling the quota for private cars on self-driving tours in Lantau Island to 50 per day. The plan was implemented on 1 July 2022. The Islands District Council and local residents have expressed concerns about the increase, fearing that it will exacerbate the local traffic load before traffic facilities are improved.

The road network in southern Lantau was built in the late 1950s. The Keung Shan Road leading to Tai O is a rural road. Some southern Lantau residents expressed that if the current traffic flow is taken into account, the road network is considered inadequate. In addition, Mui Wo and Tai O also face a severe shortage of parking spaces, and illegal parking can be seen everywhere. They hope that the government can solve the various transportation problems in the area while opening up self-driving tours.

The second phase of the Driving on Lantau Island scheme will be implemented on July 1st, 2022. Some local merchants welcome the limited quota increase to stimulate the local economy, while some tourists hope that the authorities can extend the self-driving tour hours to bring more convenience. How can the authorities balance the interests of residents and self-driving tourists?

In 2012, the government established an Inter-departmental Working Group on Clean Shorelines. The group is responsible for removing marine refuse from shorelines and maintaining their cleanliness. In 2016, Hong Kong and Guangdong established the Hong Kong-Guangdong Marine Environmental Management Special Panel. The panel established a notification and alert system for marine refuse, which performs real-time monitoring of rainfall data in Hong Kong and 13 cities in Guangdong Province in the Pearl River Delta catchment, to predict coastal areas on both sides that are potentially affected by massive amounts of marine refuse, enabling advance resource deployment to address the problem.

According to Environmental Protection Department statistics on clean shorelines, marine refuse in 2017 exceeded 15,000 tonnes and continues to rise. The Green Earth, a local environment group, has pointed out that plastic beverage bottles are the most common global marine waste over the years.

Reducing waste at the source is the permanent cure. What are the difficulties in improving the situation, and what are the consequences if the situation continues to deteriorate?

Population ageing has led to concern over retirement. The longer one lives, the more they may suffer from the trial of life and illness.

A survey found that over 90% of retirees regret not having enough savings. Can the MPF system provide sufficient retirement protection for working people? Does the annuity plan only benefit the wealthy elderly? How much savings is needed in order to achieve an ideal retirement life? Everyone wants to enjoy a comfortable retirement, but is it possible in reality?

With a growing aging population in Hong Kong, the number of seniors living alone or “empty-nest elderly” in the city has soared recently. It presents an unprecedented set of challenges to the society.

"Three Instruments of Peace” refer to a Will, an Advance Directive in relation to medical treatment, and an Enduring Power of Attorney, among which only will making is widely known to the general public, while Advance Directives and enduring powers of attorney remain obscure to the community at large.

If a person with dementia is rendered incapable of attending to their finances and losing other abilities to perform daily tasks, the will they made will not take effect when they are alive. On the other hand, Enduring Powers of Attorney are instruments created to ensure that, if an older person gets ill and becomes mentally incapable, the person appointed as attorney can act in relation to the property and financial affairs on their behalf.

The Enduring Powers of Attorney Ordinance was enacted in 1997, but few people have created such instruments ever since and public awareness of it remains low. In response to the challenges posed by population aging in Hong Kong, how can the elderly have better end-of-life planning?