248 | Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation
Slope Safety
The Civil Engineering and Development Department's comprehensive slope protection effort has brought about a substantial improvement in slope safety by improving standards and technology, ensuring the safety of new man-made slopes, improving the safety of existing man-made slopes, mitigating natural terrain landslide risk, and issuing public warnings, providing information, education and community. advisory services on slope safety.
A long-term Landslip Prevention and Mitigation Programme (LPMitP) has been launched to deal with landslide risk by systematically upgrading man-made slopes and mitigating the risk from natural hillside catchments with a known history of landslides close to existing buildings and important transport corridors.
Under the LPMitP, about $1 billion was spent in 2011 to improve slope safety. Upgrading works for 173 sub-standard government man-made slopes and mitigation works for 16 natural hillside catchments were completed, all of which were landscaped to blend in with their surroundings. Safety screening studies were completed on 107 private man-made slopes.
To foster better public understanding of slope safety and enhance public resilience to landslide hazards, roving exhibitions, school visits and other outreach activities were organised in 2011.
Water Supplies
Water from Guangdong
Hong Kong has been receiving raw water from Dongjiang since 1965. Dongjiang is now the major source of raw water for Hong Kong. To accommodate seasonal fluctuations in the local yield, the latest agreement for Dongjiang water supply signed in December 2011 provides flexibility in the daily supply rate. This arrangement can secure a reliable source of supply of high quality fresh water to Hong Kong and avoid wastage of precious water resources.
Water Storage and Consumption
Full supply was maintained throughout the year. At the end of 2011, some 379 million cubic metres of water was in storage, compared with 380 million cubic metres a year earlier. Hong Kong's two largest reservoirs, High Island and Plover Cove were holding a total of 332 million cubic metres. Rainfall of 1 477 millimetres, 62 per cent of the annual average of 2 383 millimetres, was recorded in 2011.
The average daily supply of fresh water in 2011 was 2.529 million cubic metres, compared with 2.564 million cubic metres in 2010. Some 923 million cubic metres of fresh water was consumed in 2011, compared with 936 million cubic metres in 2010. In addition, 270 million cubic metres of salt water was supplied for flushing, same as that in 2010.
Total Water Management
The Government is implementing a Total Water Management strategy that aims to manage water demand and supply in an integrated, multi-sectoral and sustainable