Atmospheric, Oceanic and Air Quality Research – Serving the Greater Bay Area Environment

Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta are among the world's most densely populated and economically dynamic regions, and as a result face severe pressures from air pollution and water quality. HKUST, drawing on its strengths in earth sciences, atmospheric sciences and ocean sciences, has become a major force in environmental research for Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. This article focuses on its role in air quality and Pearl River Estuary pollution research, complementing Key Laboratories and Research Institutes (Part 1)^※ (which covers coastal urban climate resilience) and Deep Dive: School of Science^※ (which covers the Department of Ocean Science).

# 1. The Air Quality Research Supersite

A flagship facility in HKUST's air quality research is its Air Quality Research Supersite. According to an HKUST announcement, HKUST established Hong Kong's first Air Quality Research Supersite to strengthen air quality research and tackle air pollution problems in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta^※.

"Supersite" is an internationally used term, which HKUST describes as a highly specialised, well-equipped air monitoring facility that conducts integrated, comprehensive air quality measurements with state-of-the-art instruments^※. The supersite was set up with funding from the University Grants Committee (UGC) and the Environment and Conservation Fund, enabling the real-time characterisation of airborne particulate matter (PM) to deepen understanding of the properties and sources of fine particulate matter^※.

The ability to "characterise fine particulate matter in real time" is crucial—the prerequisite for air pollution control is to understand what the pollutants are and where they come from. The supersite allows researchers to analyse in real time the chemical composition and sources of fine particles such as PM2.5, providing a scientific basis for precise pollution mitigation.

# 2. Providing Data for the Environmental Protection Department's PM2.5 Monitoring Network (Since 2011)

The impact of HKUST's environmental research goes beyond academia and is directly embedded in Hong Kong's environmental governance system. According to an HKUST research impact case, since 2011 the Hong Kong SAR Government's Environmental Protection Department has relied on HKUST to supply analytical data for its PM2.5 monitoring network^※.

This is significant: it means HKUST is not merely "studying" air pollution but has become a data analysis pillar of Hong Kong's official PM2.5 monitoring system. According to HKUST, it possesses the most comprehensive capabilities in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region to advance knowledge in this area, spanning measurement, chemical and physical analysis, modelling, control methods, impact and policy research^※. This full-chain capability from "measurement" to "policy research" allows HKUST to serve as a de facto "research think tank" in regional air governance.

# 3. Pearl River Estuary Pollution Research: The Jockey Club's HK$18 Million

In the area of water environment, HKUST has also made significant contributions. The Pearl River Delta region has undergone tremendous socio-economic development, which has been accompanied by serious deterioration in water quality. According to information from HKUST's Environmental Central Facility, the Hong Kong Jockey Club supported an HKUST research project of HK$18 million to conduct a scientific investigation into pollution of the Pearl River Estuary^※.

The Pearl River Estuary is a critical waterway connecting the core cities of the Greater Bay Area—Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau—and its water quality directly affects the regional ecology and the environmental health of tens of millions of people. HKUST's systematic investigation into pollution of the Pearl River Estuary is an example of how its ocean science capabilities (see the Ocean Science department section in Deep Dive: School of Science^※) have been applied to meet regional environmental governance needs. This connection also once again reflects the Jockey Club's longstanding support for HKUST research (see Pre-Founding History^※).

# 4. Placing It in the Narrative of "Serving the Greater Bay Area"

When viewed within HKUST's overall narrative, its environmental research underscores the value of "research grounded in locality":

1. The problems originate locally. Air pollution and water quality in the Pearl River Estuary—these are the most immediate environmental concerns for Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. HKUST's environmental research is not an abstract academic exercise; it addresses real problems of the land on which it stands.
2. Capabilities embedded in governance. From providing PM2.5 analytical data to the Environmental Protection Department to investigating Pearl River Estuary pollution, HKUST's environmental research capacity has been substantively embedded in the regional environmental governance system—a concrete manifestation of a "research university serving society".
3. Connecting to climate resilience. HKUST's environmental research connects with its State Key Laboratory of Coastal Urban Climate Resilience^※, its SDG strengths in THE Impact Rankings^※, and even its HKUST-FYBB#1 satellite^※ used for environmental monitoring, forming a research cluster of "using technology to tackle environmental challenges".

From the terrestrial Air Quality Research Supersite, to water quality surveys of the Pearl River Estuary, to environmental monitoring satellites in low Earth orbit, HKUST's environmental research is serving the Greater Bay Area—the region it calls home—through an integrated "sky–land–sea" approach.

Note: The facilities (supersite), collaborations (EPD PM2.5, Jockey Club Pearl River Estuary research), and amounts (HK$18 million) described in this article are based on the information on the source pages and are time-sensitive; projects and collaborations are updated continuously, so please refer to the latest official HKUST announcements before citing.