Letters | Hong Kong must define when and how its emergency warning system works

Readers discuss ways to improve public trust in the city’s emergency alert system, why non-Chinese speaking residents are deterred from voting, and the tarring of same-sex couples

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Hong Kong’s Chai Wan district experienced serious flooding on September 8 when the city was hit by a black rainstorm. Questions were raised why the emergency alert system was not used to warn residents of the storm. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 11:30am, 3 Dec 2023

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Since the launch of Hong Kong’s emergency alert system three years ago, questions have been raised about its use and effectiveness in crisis management.

More specifically, Hongkongers asked why it was not used to warn of extreme weather events like the black rainstorm in early September, yet was used in March 2022 to notify people that a hospital had been turned into one designated for Covid-19 patients. Was the former not more of a citywide emergency than the latter? What are the usage protocols of the system?

Three years after its launch, it’s time to optimise the system by drawing on international best practices and focusing on promptness, targeted messaging, transparency and public trust.

The United Kingdom’s alert system offers a dedicated online platform detailing current and past alerts, as well as system tests. Introducing such a platform for Hong Kong would promote transparency, enabling residents to verify alerts and understand the system’s operations.

Regular system tests, like those conducted in the UK, are also crucial for the public to familiarise themselves with the alerts and assess system performance.