Water Forum 2018

FoE (HK) will be holding the fifth Water Forum in Hong Kong on 22 March 2018, World Water Day. The theme is "Sponge City and Coastal Defence Against Extreme Weather Events”. FoE (HK) is proud to have the Drainage Services Department as a co-organizer, as well as the support of various organizations. The Forum will address the following topics:

Is the Greater Bay Area ‘Climate Ready’?

Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai are coastal cities situated around the Pearl River Delta, a high-risk zone of typhoons and coastal flooding. How can Hong Kong and neighboring cities respond to the threats of climate change? Macau suffered from serious damages caused by Typhoon Hato (天鴿) in August 2017. What lessons could be learned such that cities will be better prepared against the frequent extreme weather events?

Is Hong Kong’s City Planning ‘Climate Ready’?

With a coastline of 733 km, Hong Kong has several low-lying areas that are prone to flooding and sea level rise. What should Hong Kong do enhance its resilience against the threat of climate change?

In "Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030", the Hong Kong Government briefly mentioned the concept of low impact development (LID) and long-term measures for flood control and stormwater management. Can HK2030+ become more climate responsive? How so?

A Holistic Plan for Sponge City and Coastal Defence Development

‘Sponge City’ is a new urban water management concept originating from China. Since 2015, the Central Government has established 16 pilot sponge cities to evaluate the effectiveness of flood resilience, water filtration, and storage capacity. Shenzhen, as one of the coastal cities in Southern China, was selected as one of the second batch of China’s sponge city demonstration projects in 2016. All developments, including properties, parks, public facilities, urban renewal, and roads, must follow Shenzhen’s sponge city protocol and guidelines (深圳市海綿城市規劃要點和審查細則2016).

Guangzhou, as one of the three most flood-prone cities in the world, has long incorporated the concept of sponge city into its master plan (廣州市生態文明建設規劃綱要 2016-2020). It targets for all new development projects to have permeable outdoor surfaces and to increase surface permeability to 40%. Can Hong Kong learn from Shenzhen and Guangzhou? Hong Kong can incorporate both domestic and oversea experiences to raise the city’s adaptability to climate change.