Carbon Sinks Losing Ground

Intact tropical forests that are untouched by human activity absorbed 17 per cent of human-made carbon dioxin emissions in the 1990s, or about 46 billion tonnes. But two decades later that has fallen to six per cent, or 25 billion tonnes. The compromised capacity...

Mood Enhancers

About 10 per cent of Hong Kong people aged over 65 show signs of depression, the result of stress, poor health and lack of social engagement. Similar factors can also darken the mood of the family members who look after elderly relatives suffering from dementia. The...

Raising the Alarm on Dementia

Dr Gloria Wong Hoi-yan has worked for years to develop interventions and care management for sufferers of dementia. And while she has had some successes (see box), one stumbling block has loomed in her path. Unlike Taiwan, Macau and other developed societies, Hong...

Techno-Ageing

Professor Terry Lum Yat-sang of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration has been a champion of Hong Kong’s elderly, overseeing multiple funded projects to make the city more age-friendly and improve elderly care. But as a social scientist, he is keenly...

No Place Like Home

Many elderly people in Hong Kong and rural China have lived in their homes most of their lives. They know the neighbours, shops, sitting areas and transport links. But instead of enjoying the familiarity and security of their surroundings, some are being uprooted in...