WHEN HILLSIDE COLLAPSE: A CENTURY OF LANDSLIDE IN HONG KONG

(2ND EDITION)

Landslide Mitigation

A Term Paper presented to the Senior High School Department of Sapang Palay
National High School

Final Requirements for Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction of Grade 12

Academic Track STEM Strand

Handed in on 16 March 2018

by Rhea Angeline C. Bauzon

Mrs. Verlinda M. German

DRRR Adviser

S.Y. 2017 – 2018

CONTENTS

1 Introduction

1.2 Landslide in Hong Kong

2 Records of Landslides in Hong Kong

2.1 The Quing Dynasty and After (1889 – 1916)

2.2 The War Years (1917 – 1949)

2.3 Post War Period (1950 – 1971)

2.4 The 6.18 Disasters (1972 – 1975)

2.5 Lightning in Strikes in the Same Place Twice – Sau Mau Ping (1976 – 1979)

2.6 Marked Improvements (1980 – 1989)

2.7 The End of a Millennium (1990 – 1999)

2.8 Into the New Millennium (2000)

3 Conclusions

4 Best practices for reducing Disaster Risk due to Landslides in Hong Kong

5 References
1 Introduction

This kind of disaster has different types that occur at different speeds –

from very slow, normal and very quick, it is called landslide. All landslides happen

caused by too much frictions and kind of materials involved in a certain area

which is also influenced by natural and human-induced hazards. There are

several concepts that explain why and what makes landslides deadly, destructive

and dangerous to human beings, properties and any other living things here on

Earth.

Cause and effect behavior of natural disasters happens all over the world

just like volcanoes, earthquakes, and forest fires can lead to landslides, in turn,

can cause tsunamis. From this, professionals and engineers do researches to

keep us safe from natural disasters, such as landslides. They study landslides in

detail, develop measurement tools to predict landslides, design building and

human-made structures such as roads, tunnels, and homes that reduce the

unending danger and destruction due to landslides, so it cannot bring landslides

in the future (Regents of the University of Colorado, 2018).

1.2 Landslide in Hong Kong

Landslides are an unceasing problem in Hong Kong, which leads to

numerous heavy loss of life and major property damage in the past. Mostly,

landslides are the direct or indirectly result of heavy rainstorms and runoff water

events and are considered some things that affect gravity and frictions in
landslides. Hong Kong’s steep hillsides are particularly vulnerable to landslides

where squatters can be also located.

Soil cut slopes, rock cut slopes, earth fill slopes, retaining walls, natural

slopes and boulders are examples of slope features that are prone to landslides.

However, fill slopes have been a major cause of damages as well as casualties

in Hong Kong in the past. Behind those ungrateful events, mud avalanches

trigger liquefaction of loose fill but has been dealt with under the Government

programs concerning landslide prevention measures (E.W. Brand, J. Premchitt,

and H.B. Phillipson, 2016).

2 Records of Past Landslides in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, landslide events are regularly occurred throughout the

country. The country was surrounded by mountains – hillsides. Hillsides with

trees and shrubs are much more stable but when people cut down all the trees

on a hillside, or a wildfire burns away all the trees and plants followed by a heavy

rain, landslides are much more (Regents of the University of Colorado, 2018).

The following figures below show the Hong Kong’s landslide events in

chronological order since 1889 and up to 2000, based on the whole book of Y C

Chan, Head of the Geotechnical Engineering Office, Civil Engineering and

Development Department, the Second Edition: When Hillsides Collapse – A

Century of Landslides in Hong Kong.

2.1 The Quing Dynasty and After (1889 – 1916)

Figure 1. Wyndham Street in Central Figure 2. Glenealy in Central District

District

Figure 3. Banks of water channel below Figure 4. Albany Service Reservoir

Albany Service Reservoir

Figure 5. Hong Kong Club at D’ Aguilar Figure 6. Kenedy Road

Street
 Figure 7. Hong Kong’s Harbour Figure 8. Central District

2.2 The War Years (1917 – 1949)

Figure 9. Calder Path, a short footpath Figure 10. Po Hing Fong, Caine Road
between McDonnell Road and Kennedy

Figure 11. Pumping station in Pokfulam Figure 12. Hill Road in Western District
Road
 Figure 13. Hill Road, Kam Ling Figure 14. St. Francis Street in Wan
Restaurant Chai

Figure 15. Between Robinson Road and Figure 16. Kowloon Area
Wyncham Street

2.3 Post War Period (1950 – 1971)

Figure 17. King’s Road near Fortress Figure 18. Kwun Tong
Hill
 Figure 19. Squatters settlement in Ma Figure 20. Ming Yuen Western District
Tsai Hang

Figure 21. Traditional Chinese Mansion Figure 22. Chater Hall

Figure 23. Braemar Hill Road and Tin Figure 24. North Point Government
Hau Temple Road Primary School
 Figure 25. Peak Road near Magazine Figure 26. Ma Shan Village
Gap

Figure 27. Stubbs Road Figure 28. Fat Kwong Street

2.4 The 6.18 Disasters (1972 – 1975)

Figure 29. Resettlement area in Sau Mau Figure 30. Sau Mau Ping, Kwun Tong
Ping, Kwun Tong
 Figure 31. Kotewall Road Figure 32. Po Shan Road

Figure 33. Conduit Road Figure 34. Greenview Gardens

2.5 Lightning in Strikes in the Same Place Twice – Sau Mau Ping (1976 –

1979)

Figure 35. Sau Mau Ping Estate Figure 36. Wong Kei Cafe
 Figure 37. Holy Cross Path Village Figure 38. Sandy Bay

Figure 39. Merry Terrace Figure 40. Castle Road

2.6 Marked Improvements (1980 – 1989)

Figure 41. Lam Tin 3rd Village, Kwun Figure 42. Yuen Mo Village
Tong
Figure 43. Tsin Shui Ma Tau Village Figure 44. Ching Cheung Road

Figure 45. Milestone Caste Peak Road Figure 46. Cheung Lung Tin Village

Figure 47. Peak Road Figure 48. Hoi Pong Village

Figure 49. Victoria Road, Hong Kong Figure 50. Tsat Tsz Mui Road, North
Point

Figure 51. Choi Yue Chuen in Tsuen Figure 52. Lion Rock Tunnel
Wan

Figure 53. Island Road Government Figure 54. Sau Mau Ping
Primary School
2.7 The End of a Millennium (1990 – 1999)

Figure 55. Fei Tsui Road Village Figure 56. Tsing Lung Tao

2.8 Into the New Millennium (2000)

Figure 57. Kong Pan Tin Tsuen Figure 58. Yu Tiung Road

Figure 59. Nam Chung Tsuen Figure 60. Chow Yei Ching Building
3 Conclusions

Past Disasters

Preventing landslides from happening is impossible, so a key aspect to

this is preparedness. Do not try to stop the disaster to occur but try to prevent or

minimize the harm it causes. Several steps can be taken to achieve this goal, but

first is think of possible answers on how we can learn from past disasters such as

landslides (Zhouxiang, 2017).

Documenting and studying past landslide disasters are very important task

to do with full attention and courage. People should be aware and learn from

these disaster events, so they could have a good assessment of risk, or good

policies to prohibit people from settling in areas that are prone to landslides.

Addition to that, death toll could have been significantly lower had the warning

led to action (A. Chowdhury, 2018).

After reviewing the past landslide disasters in your area, you can start

from identifying zones on mountain slopes where there is a chance of landslide

risk. Another thing is, taking preventive measures to minimize damages that a

landslide might cause and monitoring. Monitoring should deal with geological

devices. It will make the result more reliable because it provides more detailed

information about the structure of the mountain slope.

With these records of past landslides, it defines that people will have

awareness on themselves about the kinds of places where their houses can be

built and those areas where building is forbidden. It must be strictly observed
these set of standards to minimize the number of casualties in landslides, as well

as other natural disasters.

4 Best practices for reducing Disaster Risk due to Landslides in Hong

Kong

Hong Kong has a history of tragic landslides. Many of these incidents are

minor, just washouts and erosion on the surfaces of hillsides, but there still a

enormous proportion of larger failures which can threaten lives of people and

properties, disrupt the community and block roads of the said country (Slope

Safety in Hong Kong, 2016).

By then, there is an establishing of a control organization to regulate

hillside development, construction and maintenance of slopes. This will help the

citizens of Hong Kong to strive for the highest possible safety standards (Slope

Safety in Hong Kong, 2016).

It is a concept of continuous improvement in service to the community, so

that the Geotechnical Engineering Office will likely to achieve their objective and

vision which is to have formulated a comprehensive Slope Safety System with

the overall target of minimizing landslide risk to the whole community.

They key strategies in reducing the landslide risk in Hong Kong include:

A. Minimizing risk arising from new developments

By providing input to land use planning and auditing the design and

supervision of construction of new slopes.

B. Implementation of landslip prevention and mitigation measures to

systematically contain the overall landslide risks of the existing man-made

slopes and natural hillside catchments

A commission of enquiry was set up amidst the ensuing censure to

investigate into the causes of these landslides. These landslide disasters also

prompted the Government to begin to put efforts on slope safety and allocate

some resources to deal with the geotechnical problems arising from slopes. A

Civil Engineering Unit was formed in the Buildings Ordinance Office (BOO) to

carry out slope preventive works and geotechnical control of private building

works (I.R. Yu, 2011).

C. Reducing risk by minimizing the possible consequences of landslides.

Raising and promoting awareness in a large scale and response in slope

safety through public education, information services and public warnings like

maintaining a 24-hour year-round emergency service and identifying squatter

huts at high risk from landslides so that clearance actions can be taken.
5 References

Chan, 1996 Y.C. Chan

When hillside collapse: a century of landslides in Hong Kong

Retrieved from:

http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/when_hillsides_collapse_2nd.aspx

Chowdhury, 2018 Adib Chowdhury

Are we learning the lessons from past disasters?

Retrieved from: https://medium.com/@weareiguacu/are-we-

learning-the- lessons-from-past-disasters-775816e43cbb

E.W. Brand, J. Premchitt, and H.B. Phillipson, 2016

Landslide Risk Assessment – Hong Kong Slope Safety

Retrieved from

http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/chi/qra/PDF/er195links.pdf

Yu, 2011 Ir Ringo Yu

Landslide Risk Reduction through Works

Retrieved from:

http://www.hkieged.org/download/as/2011as.pdf

Regents of the University of Colorado, 2018

Lesson: All About Landslides: Land on the Run

Retrieved from:

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_natdis_lesson05
Slope Safety in Hong Kong, 2015

Landslide risk management

Retrieved from: http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/slope-

info/Slope_Safety_in_Hong_Kong(Mar%202014)_Eng.pdf

Zhouxiang, 2017 Z. Zhouxiang

What lessons can be learned after disaster?

Retrieved from: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2017-

06/28/content_29912063.htm