In 1987, the Director of Civil Engineering was given the task and responsibility of coordinating the Government's effort to reduce the risk and extent of flooding. This was an important step forward. Before that time, several Government departments each had a certain degree of responsibility for various aspects of drainage and flood relief, but no single department had an overall coordinating role. Many regional or engineering studies and works for land drainage and flood control had already been undertaken, yet these were somewhat piece-meal.

The Government decided that a comprehensive strategy was needed, and the "Territorial Land Drainage and Flood Control Strategy Study-Phase I" (TEL1) was commissioned in November 1988. A broad-brush strategy, with appropriate balance between the town planning, engineering and organizational aspects was developed for the whole territory. The study gave due consideration to using non-structural measures in parallel with conventional structural measures and also identified the need for major river training schemes and the introduction of legislation and management measures. The Government endorsed the strategy in 1990.

Download the TEL1 Executive Summary (13,396KB, PDF format) 

In September 1989, the Government established the Drainage Services Department (DSD) to take up the overall responsibility of providing an efficient approach to resolving both the flooding and sewage problems in Hong Kong. Since then, a number of further studies on flood prevention strategy have been conducted by DSD.

The "Territorial Land Drainage and Flood Control Strategy Study-Phase II" (TEL2) began in 1991 and was completed in 1993. The study provided Government with the more concrete plans and tools needed to make the strategy effective in the 5 most flood prone basins in the north New Territories. The principal output from the study was a Basin Management Plan for each of the basins. It provides a rational framework for managing the drainage systems in each basin, implementing structural and non-structural flood loss mitigation measures and responding to requests for development.

Download the TEL2 Executive Summary (12,339KB, PDF format) 

The Sedimentation Study, which generated a strategy to maintain the tidal sections of major river channels in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner, began in 1995 and was completed in 1997.

Download the Sedimentation Study Executive Summary (10,108KB, PDF format)

Since 1996, the Government has further commissioned eight stormwater drainage master plan (DMP) studies covering all the flood prone areas of the territory. These DMP studies comprehensively examined the adequacy of the existing drainage systems and developed short to long term drainage improvement measures to meet the current standards and the future needs.  The recommended improvement measures in the DMP studies are in various stages of implementation.

Drainage Master Planning