TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE CHINESE COASTAL MEGACITIES. A CASE STUDY OF PRACTICE IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA

This article analyses the current flood risk management practices in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. In the next four decades, 120 million people are expected to live in the region, which currently covers 11 major cities, and includes the coastal megacities formed by Hong Kong and Shenzhen. These populous low-lying coastal cities experience emerging flood risk from (i) intense precipitation, (ii) storm surges, (iii) global sea level rise and (iv) rapid urbanization in the flood-prone areas. These have major economic, social and ecological impacts and have made it imperative to adopt a sustainable flood risk management strategy to mitigate these risks. This research uses the case study in Tai O and Shenzhen River sites from Hong Kong and Shenzhen where in-depth discussions were held with various stakeholders to overview and understand current constraints to realizing sustainable flood risk management (SFRM). The outcome shows the authorities have realized the importance of SFRM and climate change adaptation strategies. They seek further improvement in managing flood risk and preparing for unpredictable climatic regimes in both megacities, and by extension comparable urbanizing coastal cities in the PRD and East Asia. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd