Hong Kong's climate change precautions outlined
Officials say city is preparing for more inclement weather as earth warms
Officials have outlined precautions against climate change in Hong Kong, including sea walls and flood-protection systems, as a top forecaster warns that if efforts to reach a global deal on cutting carbon emissions fail, "when it rains, it will pour".
This came when officials from several departments took a rare chance to present preparedness plans and "adaption and resilience" measures at a three-day international climate conference that began yesterday.
Observatory acting assistant director Mok Hing-yim said that if no agreement was made at a UN climate conference in Paris next year, Hong Kong was likely to enter a "high carbon dioxide concentration scenario".
That, he said, means "that by the end of the century, temperatures will rise about three to six degrees".
In a warmer climate, the number of very hot days per year was likely to increase. Average annual rainfall would also probably go up to about 180 millimetres by mid-century, with most rain coming from heavy downpours.
"This means when it rains, it will pour," Mok said.
The city was projected to see sea levels rise 0.31 metres between 2046 and 2065, compared with the global mean of 0.30, Mok said.
Other government departments shared their plans and assessments for dealing with climate change and extreme weather. These included enlarging sea walls to deal with rising sea levels and measures to prevent landslides, floods and storm surges associated with increased rainfall under different climate change scenarios.
Deputy director of housing Ada Fung Yin-suen said the Housing Authority was "climate ready".
Flood-protection designs were incorporated into public housing developments to deal with possible increases in rainfall, while a major disaster manual outlining contingency plans for various disasters was also in place, she said.
Moderating the discussion, environment undersecretary Christine Loh Kung-wai said it was important to show what risks the city was dealing with and where the gaps were.
"We should feel blessed because we're doing quite well in assessing our capabilities … but it's about how to integrate planning for the future."
The third International Conference on Climate Change ends tomorrow.
