Drainage Services Department (DSD) and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE Delft) organised a workshop and signed a 5-year term of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Knowledge and Capacity Development

As a side event of the 8^th IWA ASPIRE Conference and Exhibition 2019, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) and the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE Delft) co-organised a workshop on “Shifting Time Horizons in Strategic Planning to Enhance Climate Resilience in Hong Kong” on 31 October. IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world and is based in Delft, the Netherlands. The Institute confers fully accredited MSc degrees, and PhD degrees in collaboration with partner universities. IHE Delft works in partnership to strengthen capacity in the water sector to achieve global sustainable development.

Mr. Henk OVINK, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Professor Chris ZEVENBERGEN, Chair Professor of Flood Resilience Group of the IHE Delft shared their valuable knowledge and international experience on the theme of the workshop to around 40 participants from different government department, including Development Bureau, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Civil Engineering and Development Department, Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong Observatory, Planning Department, Water Supplies Department, and the DSD, together with Executive Committee members/representatives of International Water Association Hong Kong. Through group discussion sessions, participants acquired insights on both short-term and long-term strategy on enhancing climate resilience in Hong Kong.

At the end of the workshop, Director of Drainage Services, Mr. LO Kwok-wah, Kelvin and Professor Chris ZEVENBERGEN (on behalf of IHE Delft) signed a 5-year term of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Knowledge and Capacity Development in Sustainable Stormwater Management.

Assistant Director/Operations and Maintenance of DSD, Mr. HO Yiu-kwong delivered the welcome speech

Director of Drainage Services, Mr. LO Kwok-wah, Kelvin (left) presented souvenirs to Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr. Henk OVINK (centre) and Professor Chris ZEVENBERGEN of IHE Delft (right)

Group photo of workshop participants

Director of Drainage Services, Mr. LO Kwok-wah, Kelvin (third left) and Professor Chris ZEVENBERGEN on behalf of IHE Delft (third right) signed a 5-year term of MoU on Knowledge and Capacity Development in Sustainable Stormwater Management on 31 October 2019. Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) 2 of Development Bureau, Mr. MAK Shing-cheung, Vincent (second left), Deputy Director of Drainage Services, Mr. MAK Ka-wai (first left), together with the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hong Kong and Macao, Ms. Annemieke RUIGROK (second right) and Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr. Henk OVINK (first right) witnessed the signing of the MoU