Landslide risk management in Hong Kong

The combination of dense urban development, hilly terrain, and intense seasonal rainfall has caused acute landslide problems in Hong Kong, which are manifested by a death toll of over 470 people since the late 1940s. Tackling landslide problems in an urban setting, in particular under the effect of climate change, calls for a development and implementation of a holistic risk management strategy. It entails the use of engineering and non-engineering approaches, involving policy, legislative, administrative, innovation, technical, educational, community-based, and emergency-preparedness provisions. In this paper, these two approaches are showcased by the slope safety system that has been developed and promulgated in managing landslide risk for building Hong Kong as a world-class smart city.