The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) collected data from various district councils and identified 91 flooding blackspots between May and June this year.
These areas mainly involve scenarios where rainfall exceeds the drainage system's capacity, silt and branches block channels, and low-lying regions are prone to river and seawater backflow.
Among these, the New Territories and Kowloon account for approximately 41% and 49% of the flooding blackspots respectively, with more blackspots in Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin, and the outlying islands.
Out of the 91 flood-prone areas, 78 are government-managed, while 13 are privately managed. Many of the private areas are owned by Link REIT and MTR Corporation.
"The authorities should review and study the flood prevention responsibilities of private site managers and provide technical assistance to enhance the drainage capacity of private sites, such as car parks," said Legislative Council member Stanley Li.
The DAB suggests that the authorities should integrate the Hong Kong Observatory's forecasting system to more accurately and quickly assess flood risks and establish a notification system. They could refer to the mainland's notification mechanism and set up an application for emergency alerts to provide early warnings to areas with potential risks.
The DAB noted that the rainwater drainage system improvement project is expected to be completed by 2028, meaning that residents will face flood risks for several more years. They hope the authorities can implement temporary measures in the short term, such as building additional water gates, retaining walls, surface water drainage channels, and installing flood barriers along riverbanks.
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