Abstract
With globalization, potential threats to human well-being, such as SARS, have increased. Good governance, transparency, accountability and people-centred decision-making are key to managing such threats effectively. In particular, governance capacity is likely to be strengthened where community engagement and mutual trust between people and their governments are well established. This article analyses Hong Kong's response to the 2003 SARS crisis from the governance and community engagement perspectives. It discusses how the government's traditional, paternalistic approach to limiting community engagement impacted negatively on its capacity to manage the SARS outbreak effectively, contributing to a governance crisis and a significant loss of public trust. Post-SARS improvements to public participation are discussed, but without a less paternalistic approach, prospects for enhancing community engagement remain limited.
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