Land, Public Works and Utilities | 245
In March, the department joined forces with the Security Bureau, Drainage Services Department, Hong Kong Observatory, Information Services Department and Hong Kong Red Cross to launch a year-long public education programme, Safer Living Reducing Natural Disasters. The programme aims to enhance understanding of natural hazards so that appropriate action can be taken to reduce disasters. The Secretary for Security officiated at the launching ceremony and the opening of an exhibition in March 2005. Other major activities of the Safer Living programme in 2005 included TV programmes a four-episode Safer Living series and the eight- episode Meteorological Series III - a tropical cyclone name-nomination contest, six popular science lectures, a seminar on natural disaster reduction and a slogan and bookmark design contest. In addition, a dedicated website (saferliving.info.gov.hk) was set up to give easy access to information on the programme.
The Community Advisory Unit of the department continues to provide useful advice to private slope owners to help them maintain and improve the condition and appearance of their slopes. The department audits maintenance works of government departments to help in their slope maintenance work. Audits of government slope works help ensure a continuous improvement in the overall state of maintenance.
It also maintains a 24-hour, year-round emergency service to provide geotechnical advice to government departments on action to be taken to protect the public against landslide danger. Due to heavy rainfall, some 450 landslide incidents, caused by heavy rainfall, were reported in 2005. The department's Emergency Control Centre was mobilised twice, and over 180 staff were deployed to provide emergency services to remove danger posed by landslides and to help restore essential services to the community.
The department conducts various studies to improve the knowledge and practice of dealing with natural terrain landslide hazards. It has applied remote sensing techniques and Geographic Information System analysis to identify historical natural terrain landslides and quantify the landslide risk. The department is also enhancing the existing Natural Terrain Landslide Inventory by incorporating information obtained from interpretation of the available aerial photographs.
The department produces geotechnical guidance documents to disseminate new technological development findings and improved design and construction practices including improved guidelines on the design and construction of soil nails.
The Geotechnical Information Unit in the Civil Engineering Library, which houses. the largest collection of geotechnical data in Hong Kong, served about 30 000 public users during 2005.
The department provides specialist
provides specialist geotechnical services to government departments, including the provision of ad hoc geotechnical advice, feasibility studies, detailed investigations, design and construction supervision for a wide range of public works projects. The projects handled by the department during the year included site formation works at Sunny Bay Salt Water Service Reservoir on Lantau
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