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duties in terms of staff deployed. Geotechnical checks were made on 11 686 design proposals during the year.
As part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Slope Safety Review Report endorsed by the Executive Council in February 1995, increased resources were provided to further accelerate the Landslip Preventive Measures (LPM) Programme. During 1997, a total of $550 million was spent on the LPM Programme to increase the annual output of slope upgrading works. LPM works were completed on 110 government slopes and statutory Dangerous Hillside Orders were recommended for 300 private slopes. Preliminary studies were carried out on 12 000 slopes and detailed geotechnical investigations were completed on 600 slopes.
In 1997, the abnormally prolonged and intense summer rainfall resulted in 547 landslides. The GEO carried out detailed investigations of the more serious incidents, including those at the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple and Kau Wai Keng Village which resulted in two deaths.
During the year, work continued on the 'Systematic Identification and Registration of Slopes in the Territory' (SIRST) project and 'Systematic Identification of Maintenance Responsibility of Slopes' (SIMAR) project. A new computerised Slope Information System is being compiled containing important information on all sizeable man-made slopes and retaining walls in the HKSAR.
The GEO strives for continuous improvement. During the year, a mission statement and a five-year strategic plan to achieve the mission have been developed. The GEO slope safety hotline has been upgraded to provide a 24-hour service to members of the public seeking information on slope maintenance and slope safety. The emergency system for providing professional assistance in landslip incidents has been upgraded through improvements in communications and transport.
The GEO continued the public education campaign on slope maintenance and slope safety warnings by, inter alia, wide distribution of promotional booklets and pamphlets, attending media interviews and public seminars, mounting displays at popular shopping centres and advertising in MTR stations. The landslip warning messages have been amplified by frequent TV broadcasting of announcements of public interest. In April 1997, a slope maintenance audit section was set up to assist maintenance departments to improve their performance in discharging their slope maintenance responsibilities.
The GEO continued to inspect squatter villages to identify dwellings which are especially vulnerable to landslips during heavy rainfall. Up to 1997, 73 800 squatters had been cleared upon the GEO's recommendations 58 000 from urban areas and
the others from about 200 of the more vulnerable villages in the mainland New Territories.
In 1997, the Hong Kong Geological Survey published a memoir on the geology of the north-eastern New Territories, completed a book on the offshore geology of Hong Kong, and digitised four 1:5 000-scale geological maps of the Kowloon area. It also began a detailed investigation of the sub-surface geology of the area around Tung Chung New Town, assisted with several major landslide investigations, and responded to 297 requests for advice on geological matters.
The GEO carries out engineering geological research. Studies of the volcanic rocks in the Aberdeen and Chai Wan areas were completed in 1997, together with trials of