Deep Dive delves into hot issues in Hong Kong and mainland China. Our easy-to-read articles provide context to grasp what’s happening, while our questions help you craft informed responses. Check sample answers at the end of the page.
News: Where is Hong Kong’s heat action plan?
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New research finds extreme heat may have contributed to 3,238 excess deaths in the city over a decade
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The lack of a heat-health action plan puts most vulnerable residents at risk, experts warn
Both Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and its latest policy address failed to mention a systemic heat-health action plan. The glaring omission concerns environmentalists and academics, who warn that “common sense” is not enough to protect vulnerable residents.
Their comments came as new research from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) found that extreme heat might have contributed to as many as 3,238 excess deaths in the city over the 10-year study period.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivered a five-year blueprint and the annual policy address in September. Despite rising temperatures, neither included a comprehensive action plan to address urban heat.
What the policy address did propose was a new management system driven by artificial intelligence called the “AI city brain”. It aims to improve interdepartmental collaboration during extreme weather or similar incidents.
The World Health Organization outlines core elements for heat-health action plans. They include governance, early warning systems, surveillance and outreach.
“Including a heat action plan in the policy address or the five-year plan … could ensure heat adaptation and resilience as a citywide priority,” said Greenpeace Hong Kong campaigner Prudence Yeung. “[It would] provide a foundation for investment in heat resilience infrastructure, research and public awareness.”
A Greenpeace survey from August found that nearly 80 per cent of low-income elderly people in Hong Kong report physical or mental distress during extreme heat.
Professor David Bishai, director of the school of public health at HKU, and other researchers revised figures from research in 2024 in a study currently under peer review. Previously, Hong Kong heatwaves were thought to have contributed to 1,677 excess deaths between 2014 and 2023. The new estimate put that figure between 1,455 and 3,238.
Bishai said the preventable excess deaths had largely gone unrecognised as they were exacerbations of underlying illnesses, rather than heatstroke, which is rare.
“Enacting an action plan in the face of extreme heat can be helpful in reducing death rates,” he said. “We know just leaving it to common sense is not working, because we are still seeing these excess deaths during heatwaves.”
The Labour Department issues heat-stress alerts for outdoor workers, recently revamped following criticism. The Department of Health provides public health advice.
Ren Chao, an HKU professor who specialises in climate-responsive design, said heat-risk mapping was crucial to visualise areas experiencing hot days and nights.
Staff writers
Question prompts
1. According to the information in News, which of the following statements is false?
(1) New research showed extreme heat may have caused more than 3,000 excess deaths in Hong Kong over a decade.
(2) The annual policy address delivered in September by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu included a comprehensive heat-health action plan.
(3) The proposed “AI city brain” system aims to enhance interdepartmental collaboration during extreme weather events.
(4) Nearly 80 per cent of all high-income elderly people surveyed in Hong Kong reported some form of distress during extreme heat.
A. (1), (2) only
B. (1), (3) only
C. (2), (4) only
D. (3), (4) only
2. Name ONE positive outcome of including a heat action plan in the policy address or the five-year plan.
3. Why did Professor David Bishai say “leaving it to common sense is not working”? Explain using News and your own knowledge.
Chart 1
Question prompts
1. Use News and Glossary to explain what heat stress is and how it affects labourers who work outdoors.
2. Which groups of people would benefit most if Hong Kong created a systemic action plan that tackles heat? Explain using News, Glossary and your own knowledge.
Issue: City must build climate resilience
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Hong Kong projected to have 101 heatwaves every year by the 2040s, a jump from an annual average of 14 hot days in the 2010s
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Experts urge additional cooling shelters, greenery, shaded walkways and surfaces that counter urban heat
Hong Kong recorded a scorching 36.9 degrees Celsius at the city’s weather forecaster headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui on August 9, the highest since records began in 1884.
The extreme heat is disrupting health and sleep cycles, underlining questions about the city’s climate resilience. Areas surrounding the Pearl River Delta, including Hong Kong, will face more frequent, prolonged heatwaves by 2040, according to a study published in Weather and Climate Extremes scientific journal in May.
Jimmy Fung Chi-hung is chair professor of the environment and sustainability division at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Citing his study, Fung said Hong Kong’s already hot and humid climate was projected to worsen and intensify heat stress.
He said the number of days in a year repeatedly affected by heatwaves would jump from an annual average of 14 days in the 2010s to 101 in the 2040s.
Urban climate expert Professor Ren Chao of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) urged the government to study the potential challenges that residents in each district may face under climate change. She called for corresponding solutions and strategies to mitigate the risks, adding that pop-up cooling community centres or heat shelters were essential.
The city currently runs 19 temporary heat shelters, converted from community halls, when the very hot weather warning is in force. There are also eight community centres that open for heat refuge.
The 19 heat shelters run overnight if the warning is still in force at 4.30pm. Between August 5 and 13, the warning was issued for more than 204 hours, and the 19 shelters served between 160 and 250 residents each day.
While 70 per cent of Hong Kong is covered by green spaces, only 35 per cent of residents have greenery within 500 metres of their home on average, according to data collected in 2020 for an HKU-led study.
Bin Chen, an assistant professor at HKU’s division of landscape architecture who led the research, said the city must focus on smaller, more distributed greenery, such as street trees and shaded routes between homes and facilities.
But according to Anthony Cheung, vice-president of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design, the city’s existing rules and approval procedures do not facilitate building more canopies, covered walkways and footbridges.
Under the Buildings Ordinance, balconies and canopies cannot extend beyond three metres or 10 per cent of the street width, whichever is shorter. Cheung said building designs under the rule could not provide sufficient shade for pedestrians to seek shelter from the sun and rain.
Cheung acknowledged the government’s attempts to incentivise private developers to build sheltered pedestrian links, including footbridges, by waiving land premiums under certain conditions. However, he noted that approval for the scheme, launched in 2017, was a “very long process” and proposals were subject to different tests to assess their public benefit.
Theresa Yeung, president of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners, said the city should replace concrete structures with permeable materials to ease increased flooding caused by more frequent rainstorms driven by global warming.
She suggested the government mandate climate-resilient designs in relevant residential projects and eventually expand the scope to commercial buildings.
“Climate-resilient designs not only help the government but also residents by protecting their properties and assets,” she said.
The Development Bureau has said the government requires public works projects to incorporate greening elements in their planning and development stages.
Staff writers
Question prompts
1. According to Issue, what is the condition for the 19 temporary heat shelters to run overnight?
2. Explain TWO obstacles that hinder the construction of covered walkways and footbridges.
3. How can street greenery and urban design adjustments help Hong Kong adapt to extreme heat? Explain using Issue, Glossary and your own knowledge.
Chart 2
Question prompts
1. When there is a red warning, how many minutes of rest per hour are recommended for workers carrying out “heavy” labour compared with “light”?
2. Use your own knowledge to explain TWO major challenges employers might face implementing these rest schedules. What is ONE policy the government could enforce to ensure compliance?
Glossary
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AI city brain: an artificial intelligence-powered system that links urban data, such as landslide monitoring, traffic flow, weather and public complaints, to manage emergencies and improve services
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heatwaves: prolonged periods of excessively high temperatures, often with severe consequences for human health, ecosystems and infrastructure. In Hong Kong, temperatures during heatwaves typically exceed 33 degrees Celsius.
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heat stress: the physical strain on the body caused by severe heat, which occurs when the body absorbs more heat than it can dissipate
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heat-risk mapping: visually identifying and mapping areas that experience high temperatures across different districts to communicate heat risks to the public and guide relief efforts
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greenery: trees and flora that provide shade and lower the temperature of urban spaces
Sample answers
News
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C
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It would help prevent heat-related mortality and other excess deaths, for example through proactive welfare checks on vulnerable groups. / It provides a clear policy framework for interdepartmental coordination instead of relying on reactive, common-sense measures. (accept all reasonable answers)
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Professor David Bishai said this because relying on common sense has not prevented deaths during heatwaves, with new research showing that extreme heat may have caused up to 3,238 excess deaths in Hong Kong over ten years. Many of these deaths are unrecognised because heat worsens existing chronic illnesses like heart or lung conditions rather than showing up as simple heatstroke. Without a clear government action plan, such as early warning systems, cooling shelters and targeted outreach, vulnerable people like the low-income elderly cannot protect themselves using common sense alone.
Chart 1
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Heat stress is the physical strain on the body caused by severe heat, which occurs when the body absorbs more heat than it can get rid of. Outdoor labourers are strongly affected because they work directly in hot, sun-exposed environments with factors that worsen thermal strain, such as having no designated shade, poor ventilation, wearing non-breathable protective clothing and working near heat-generating equipment without heat shielding.
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The groups that would benefit most are outdoor workers, low-income elderly residents and people with chronic illnesses. Outdoor workers need proper rest schedules and protected workplaces to avoid severe physical strain from continuous heat exposure. Low-income elderly residents often live in poorly ventilated homes without affordable air conditioning or nearby green spaces, making them vulnerable to physical and mental distress during heatwaves. Finally, people with chronic conditions like heart or lung diseases face a higher risk because extreme heat worsens their underlying health problems, leading to thousands of unrecognised excess deaths. A clear government action plan would protect these vulnerable groups through shelters and health outreach.
Issue
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The 19 temporary heat shelters run overnight if the Very Hot Weather Warning remains in force at 4.30pm.
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Strict regulations under the Buildings Ordinance state that balconies and canopies cannot extend beyond three metres or 10 per cent of the street width, limiting the amount of shade they can provide. The government approval process for schemes that incentivise private developers to build covered pedestrian links is very long, as proposals must go through multiple tests to prove their public benefit.
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Street greenery, such as trees and plants, provides natural shade and helps lower temperatures in urban areas where concrete buildings trap heat. Urban design adjustments, such as building covered walkways and using permeable materials, protect pedestrians from direct sunlight and reduce urban heat retention. Together, these measures cool street-level environments, lowering thermal strain on pedestrians and making the city more resilient to rising temperatures.
Chart 2
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Under a red heat stress warning, workers carrying out heavy labour are recommended to take 45 minutes of rest per hour, whereas workers performing light labour are recommended to take 15 minutes of rest per hour.
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Employers may face financial and operational challenges because frequent 45-minute rest breaks can lead to project delays and lower daily productivity, and because managing worker schedules at dynamic job sites makes it difficult to track fluctuating warning levels in real time. To ensure compliance, the government could introduce legally binding safety regulations under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, enforcing mandatory break periods with strict fines or penalty points for non-compliant employers. (accept all reasonable answers)
