Climate change prompts Macau government to set up flooding alert

Macau Daily Times: As the weather bureau predicted that Macau's sea level will raise 0.5 metres by 2050 and the future tropical cyclones will be more fierce, the government has initially set out a three-class flooding alert mechanism to help residents be prepared for seawater intrusion.

In the response to lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong's interpellation, Secretary for Administration and Justice, Florinda Chan, said conditions of Macau's street flooding were already greatly improved in which "flooding blackspots have been reduced from nearly 40 to five".

When Typhoon Hagupit swept Macau in September last year, Chan said the flooding was not caused by drainage blockage, but the "storm surge that led to a rapid rise of water level and eventually a severe seawater intrusion". On the day when the typhoon hit Macau the water level stood at 4.6 metres, which was the second highest record in history, following 4.74 metres back in 1927.

Chan said in order to let the public be able to be prepared for the coming of seawater intrusion, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau in collaboration with the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG), the Port Authority and also the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau have outlined a three-class flooding alert mechanism.

…The Secretary said the mechanism would help the public understanding the severity of flooding and also help officials "tackle the problem effectively".