25 3 Government Panel on Adaptation and Resilience Dealing with excess precipitation and drainage DSD is concerned about climate change’s impact on the drainage system, as one of Hong Kong’s major climate adaptation challenges is dealing with heavy precipitation during storms and super-typhoons that could cause flooding. Over the past several decades, Hong Kong had invested in and successfully implemented many flood-prevention measures, such as stormwater interception, river training, flood storage and drainage improvements and eliminating flood-prone blackspots. DSD had already transformed its approach to incorporating multiple green and ecological features to beautify the living environment and reduce heat island effect that could be seen from many popular river training projects, such as Ng Tung River, Ho Chung River, and Yuen Long Bypass Floodway, and river revitalisations of Jordan Valley Channel and Tsui Ping River. Community facilities can also be provided for public enjoyment under DSD’s River in the City initiative. DSD is evolving its design philosophy for adaptation and resilience further to combat climate challenge, such as applying blue-green infrastructure (resembling sponge city concept that helps to absorb/store/reuse water), as well as the “land co-use concept” to locate stormwater storage tanks under planned facilities, such as playgrounds and sports grounds.4 The new design philosophy requires embedding the desired outcomes during the early land use planning stage. Successful land co-use examples include the Tai Hang Tung Recreation Ground and the Happy Valley Recreation Ground that enable stormwater storage. New projects include the Shek Kip Mei Stormwater Storage Scheme with an open tank design that integrates with the local park, which will allow community and recreational activities during dry days. Another significant new concept is creating “floodable areas” that serve as temporary water retention basins during heavy rain but could revert to its normal recreational use (such as basketball courts or a lake in a park) during dry days. DSD together with CEDD is creating such a flood lake under the Anderson Road Quarry Development. “Besides straightforward infrastructure for flood alleviation, we need to be people-oriented, ecologydirected and smart-driven so as to push forward sustainable development and build a liveable city ... this design has to be embedded in the early land planning stage.” Alice Pang Director, DSD Yuen Long Bypass Floodway Flood lake under the Anderson Road Quarry Development Alice Pang, DSD
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