Macau faces extreme flood risk due to rising sea levels: study

A recent study has raised alarms over the imminent danger posed to Macau by rising sea levels, Lusa News Agency reported yesterday.

According to the research, led by Shi Huabin of the University of Macau, a one-meter rise in sea levels, as projected for this century, could plunge most of the territory into severe flooding. This risk echoes the devastation witnessed during 2017’s Typhoon Hato, which resulted in 10 fatalities and 240 injuries.

Shi’s study, to be published shortly and supported by the Fund for the Development of Science and Technology, focuses on quantifying flood risks from storm tides, using Typhoon Hato as a case study.

The research categorizes risks into five levels, primarily based on flood duration, highlighting that even one or two days of flooding could have disastrous consequences.

Under the scenario of a one-meter sea level rise, Shi predicts dire outcomes.

Most of the Macau peninsula could face maximum risk, with significant flooding expected at key locations like the airport and the Cotai area.

This situation is particularly concerning given that the Pearl River Delta, encompassing Macau, Hong Kong, and parts of Guangdong province, experiences sea level rises significantly above the global average, the study concludes as cited by Lusa.

Forecasts by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and City University of Hong Kong suggest a potential increase of up to 118 centimeters in Macau’s sea levels by century’s end, surpassing the global average by 20%. Such a rise poses a critical threat to Macau, considering its low elevation, small size, and ongoing land reclamation projects.

Faith Chan, a professor at the University of Nottingham in Ningbo adds to the concern, pointing out that reclaimed lands, though relatively safer, are not immune to the combined dangers of sea level rise, storm tides, and extreme weather events like Typhoon Hato.

The scholar underscores the escalating threat as the temperature of the western Pacific, a breeding ground for tropical storms, continues to rise, leading to a probable increase in typhoon frequency.

Macau’s ten-year disaster prevention and reduction plan, extending to 2028, acknowledges the potential for an uptick in extreme weather-related incidents. Initially, proposed measures included the construction of a tidal retention gate and 1.5-meter-high walls around the Inner Harbor to mitigate flood risks.

However, these plans faced review in February 2023, with the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, expressing doubts about their feasibility.

The government’s reluctance stems from a desire to maintain the coastal appeal for tourists and residents, despite the evident risks. Chan highlights the community’s growing awareness and concern about climate change and the increasing interest in projects aimed at risk reduction.

Nevertheless, Shi Huabin cautions against expecting a single, perfect engineering solution to this global challenge, emphasizing the need for community preparedness and individual actions in managing regular flood events.

This dire situation in Macau mirrors the global urgency to address climate change, as echoed in the latest UN report, Lusa recalls. Staff reporter