By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-30 23:16:12 | Updated at 2025-04-01 17:58:43
1 day ago
Up to 60 per cent of the landslides that occur on Hong Kong’s private slopes every year are related to poor maintenance, authorities have found, urging owners to take action amid the impact of climate change.
Government experts said slopes would be vulnerable to more intense weather.
“With more extreme weather expected in the future, there might be more concentrated rainfall during rainy seasons, which will require higher drainage capacity for slopes,” said Lawrence Shum Ka-wah, deputy head of the Geotechnical Engineering Office on Hong Kong Island.
He said drainage systems could cope with blockages from leaves or branches, but extreme weather might overwhelm them.
About 10 to 20 landslides occurred on private slopes on average each year over the past decade, Shum said, citing a department review.
On average about 30 to 60 per cent of those were related to insufficient upkeep from property owners.
The locations of the landslides depended on rainfall distribution, with no specific district requiring special attention, he said, adding that maintenance was the main concern.
