Geohazards of slope mass movement and its prevention in Hong Kong

Rapid urban development in hilly terrain, coupled with tropical storms with heavy rainfall, has led to the frequent occurrence of disastrous landslides in Hong Kong. This paper outlines several case histories of such disastrous landslides in Hong Kong and the major efforts that have been made to mitigate landslide hazards in Hong Kong since the mid-1970s. Factors that contributed to such landslides and their causative mechanisms are analyzed. Methods of predicting the runout distance and lateral extent of rainfall-induced slope failures are summarized. Slope maintenance requirements and stabilization measures are delineated, including the stabilization of loose fill slopes.