At the end of last year, drainage and civil engineering officials completed separate studies on how the SAR can cope with problems in the long run, with projections made until the year 2100.
A bureau spokesperson said they determined that the current anti-flooding strategy is suitable for the coming decades, as officials carry out improvement works to the current infrastructure.
There are 25 ongoing projects that cost some HK$17.3 billion, such as the installation of wave protection walls, underground stormwater storage tanks and drainage tunnels.
Some of the tanks are near Shing Mun and Lam Tsuen Rivers in the New Territories, as well as in Kwun Tong, Tsim Sha Tsui and Wong Tai Sin.
They’ll be completed in phases, starting from next year until 2030.
The bureau said the Civil Engineering and Development Department is also making advanced preparation plans for 11 coastal locations, including in Sai Wan Ho and Chai Wan.
The spots were identified based on the likelihood of disasters and consequences.
A spokesman stressed that following the historic downpour of September 2023 that saw 158 millimetres of rain within an hour, local flood-mitigation parameters have been updated.
“We are sure that the new designs can allow us to handle a greater amount of rain compared to what we saw during the historic black rainstorm,” he said.
The spokesman added that the local anti-flooding system is comparable or better than those in other major cities on the mainland and overseas, such as Guangzhou, London and New York.
