Challenges in Improving Slope Safety in Hong Kong through the Landslip Prevention and Mitigation Programme

Abstract

In 1977, the Hong Kong Government embarked on a systematic retrofitting programme, known as the Landslip Preventive Measures (LPM) Programme, to systematically upgrade existing substandard man-made slopes to modern safety standards. By 2010, some 4,500 high-risk government man-made slopes have been upgraded through engineering works, and the overall landslide risk arising from man-made slopes has been reduced to less than 25% of the 1977 level. Over the years, the programme has evolved progressively in response to Government’s continuous improvement initiatives and rising public expectations in respect of slope safety and slope appearance. In 2010, the Government launched the Landslip Prevention and Mitigation (LPMit) Programme to dovetail with the LPM Programme, with the focus being on retrofitting the remaining moderate-risk substandard man-made slopes and systematically mitigating natural terrain landslide risk. This paper presents the challenges, technical advances and achievements of the LPM and LPMit Programmes.