Trail Mix | Better coastal defences against typhoons and waves in Hong Kong will protect the city’s road running routes
- Typhoon Mangkhut highlighted the need for Hong Kong to improve protection against extreme weather, which will help road runners follow the coastline
With November's inaugural unofficial 100km Oxfam Trailwalker behind me, I’m taking a break from mountain running. .
With no trail races that I’m signed up for in the immediate future, I’m in search of flatter running. After so many months of hot, slow and long training sessions – many of which have significant portions of power hiking rather than running – it’s time to rediscover the modicum of speed that I hope to have retained. I’m heading for flat terrain such as race tracks, Bowen Road, and sections along the coastline of Hong Kong Island.
But Hong Kong’s coastlines are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, extreme weather and storm surges. Last September’s Typhoon Mangkhut wreaked havoc across the city, not least along the city’s coasts.
In the aftermath, the government commissioned a feasibility study to assess the impact of extreme weather events on the city’s low-lying coastal or windy locations.
“Based on the outcome of the study,” said an official press release from this April, “the government will formulate appropriate protection measures, including improvement works, management measures and other options, to strengthen the resilience to big waves at the coastal areas in the long run.”
But the feasibility study might not be enough, said Designing Hong Kong, a non-profit focused on sustainable development issues. In an email newsletter, the organisation noted that the study merely seeks to outline the problem, but does not actually offer solutions.