Monster Floods Push Hong Kong to Confront a Changing Climate
The unprecedented rainfall that hit the city in September is forcing it to finally address a future where extreme weather will be more frequent.
Hong Kong’s government recently articulated for the first time a plan for how it will deal with extreme weather in the future, a need that crystalized with a series of catastrophic rainstorms in September.
Chief Executive John Lee addressed the city’s climate resilience in a policy speech last month, marking a break from his predecessor who focused only on reducing carbon emissions. His measures include an HK$8 billion ($1 billion) plan to improve drainage, and the use of big data and AI to improve hazard forecasts and alerts.