Integrating flood risk management

and climate change in spatial

planning, Hong Kong

ED 79.01 - Urban Environmental

System
Instructor -Dr. Vilas Nitivattananon
Presenter -Kyu Thin Cho, st 118484

References
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305900615000628
Maria Francesch-Huidobro, Marcin Dabrowski, Yuting Tai, Faith Chan, Dominis Stead
Governance Challenges of flood-prone delta cities: Integrating flood risk management
and climate change in spatial planning. (3 Nov, 2015)

Introduction

Climate change is currently viewed as one of the

greatest threats to the planet Earth.
Delta cities are increasingly exposed to the risk of
climate change, particularly to flooding.
As a consequence, a variety of new spatial
development visions, strategies, plans and programs
are being developed by city governments to address
these risks.
ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Objective

To investigate the delta city, Hong Kong, where is

highly exposed to flood risks.
To examine the cause and effect of flooding.
To study how flood risk management are being
integrated into urban management.

ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Methodology

Examine the spatial planning, flood risk, and

management and climate change trend in delta city,
Hong Kong.
Data was drawn from a review of literature from
across the various relevant disciplines including
geography, environmental plans and visions.

ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Physical Parameter-Hong Kong

Delta and floodplain

Pearl River Delta (PRD)

Location

Mouth of PRD, Southeast

China Coast

Annual Precipitation

1400-3300 mm

Delta typology

Tidal/wave dominant

Tidal influence

1-1.4 m

Population

7.2 million

Flood sources

South China Sea and East

China Sea

-Hong Kong Observatory 2014

ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Causes

Intense rainstorms and typhoons

River flood
Sea level rise,
Sea wall system failure
Inadequate drainage system capacity
River bank erosion
ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Effects

Trade disruption
Failure of mass transit railway system
Spoil fish ponds and agricultural land
Inland flooding

Reduce infrastructure capacity.

ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Spatial planning strategies

These actions can reduce the effect of flooding

due to inadequate infrastructure capacity
(eg. Drainage system)
Developing the rural areas in flood plain
Urban renewal of old districts
Optimize the use of obsolete industrial and
agricultural land.

ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Flood risk management

Construction of river walls

Maintenance of storm water drainage systems
Separate the sewage system from storm water
drainage
The use of dry-weather flow inspectors
Other technological measures

ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Hong Kong Climate adaptation players and

governance characteristics
ACTOR

LEVEL

AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY

Hong Kong
Observatory (HKO)

Municipal/ Regional
Pearl River Delta

Weather forecasting

Drainage Services
Department (DSD)

Municipal

Drainage and
sewages
infrastructure

Civil Engineering and Municipal

Development
Department (CEDD)

Construction and
maintenance of sea
and river walls

Planning
Department (PD)

Land use zoning,

design and
revitalisation of the
municipality

Municipal

(Source ;compiled by authors ; Ward et al, 2012.)

1
0

ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

1
1

Conclusion
Responses include large scale, hard engineering, and
technically oriented flood protection schemes.
There are
agencies.

emergency

relief

plans

with

other

Recommendation

Investment of drainage infrastructure should be

influenced by the level of exposure to flood risk.
ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

My Opinion

1
2

The leadership of the government, the urban

planners and the various departments is very vital.
Close cooperation between the actors of various
fields.
The spatial planning and governance shape the
nature of climate adaptation strategies.
How a city is planned determines the exposure of
its population to climate change impacts.
ED 79.01 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS