Sand loss on some of Southern District's famous beaches, blamed on geographical conditions by academics, will be the subject of a government-backed study.
The government is planning to hire a contractor to study the problem and develop a long-term solution to tackle it.
The study will cover four beaches, including two in Southern District - Deep Water Bay and Stanley Main Beach. Upper Cheung Sha Beach on Lantau Island and Gold Coast Beach in Tuen Mun will also be studied.
'The Civil Engineering and Development Department is inviting contractors to submit tenders. The tender process will be completed in August, and the report is scheduled to be completed in November next year,' a spokeswoman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said.
Ng Sai-leung, associate professor of Chinese University's department of geography and resource management, said the backwash on the Southern District's beaches, which faced the Pacific Ocean, was quite strong, causing the sand loss.
Backwash is when water rolls back down a beach after a wave has broken.