Climate change: what Maui wildfires and Beijing floods can teach Hong Kong
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Hong Kong can draw inspiration from Shenzhen, its neighbour from across the bay which serves as a prime example of China’s “sponge city” programme. In a span of five years, Shenzhen has successfully completed 26 sponge city plans and 1,361 projects, covering a total of 276 sq km of urban area.
In Hong Kong, the Drainage Services Department has gained momentum in implementing nature-based solutions, as demonstrated by its efforts in revitalising the Tung Chung River and Jordan Valley Channel. To further this effort, the government must conduct a holistic environmental assessment to pinpoint sites suitable for implementing nature-based solutions.
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Second, strengthening the city’s ability to withstand extreme weather necessitates security risk assessments and formulating robust contingency plans. Hong Kong’s unique urban-wildland interface is prone to human-induced wildfires.
As climate change exacerbates this risk, the government should conduct research to understand the wildlife risk in Hong Kong, investigate the intricate links between climate patterns and wildfires, build future hill fire management strategies and establish a comprehensive centralised database on hill fires.
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Third, the establishment of a collaborative disaster management centre across the Greater Bay Area presents a strategic approach as typhoons are not confined to Hong Kong but pose risks to the entire region. To address this shared challenge, establishing a joint regional disaster management centre is needed. By pooling resources, expertise and data, such a centre can enhance climate preparation and modelling, enabling more effective disaster response and mitigation strategies that benefit the entire region.
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