Severe Typhoon Mangkhut highlights perils of massive reclamation by Lantau
Submitted by Martin Williams on 19 October 2018 - 8:06pmTyphoon Mangkhut helped show “storm surge” is a threat to modern cities, not just something for the history books.
Typhoon Mangkhut helped show “storm surge” is a threat to modern cities, not just something for the history books.
You've surely seen the shocking images from Japan last week, including as Osaka's Kansai International Airport was flooded during the passage of Typhoon Jebi (4 September 2018). The airport was built on an island of reclaimed land, and images also showed a ship that was smashed into the bridge serving as the main link to the airport, fracturing a highway lane and ripping away half the ship's superstructure.
There has been a flurry of articles about the crazy idea to build a huge reclamation east of Lantau, for a new metropolis complete with Central Business District and homes for up to a million people or so. Hugely expensive - may well completely empty Hong Kong's coffers; hugely risky given rising sea levels and intensifying storms; and hugely controversial.
Here are clippings from a selection of these articles.
From Reuters: