The catastrophic flooding in Nepal in August 2026 is more than a regional tragedy. With over 1,360 fatalities, more than 5,100 people still missing, and estimates from Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority place immediate economic losses near US$2.6 billion, it demonstrates how extreme weather events can trigger a cascade of failures, from flooding and landslides to infrastructure collapse and prolonged disruption of essential services.

Climate change is often discussed in terms of global temperatures and distant disasters. Yet its impacts are increasingly felt through disruptions to daily city operations. Earlier this year, Typhoon Noul injured residents and caused over 350 flights cancellations in Hong Kong, affecting business activities, travel plans and supply chains. Such disruptions illustrate that climate resilience is not merely an environmental objective but a prerequisite for maintaining the continuity of a modern city.

Nepal's disaster is therefore not just a story about Nepal. It is a warning signal to all cities facing an increasingly uncertain climate. Climate change is an engineering challenge as much as it is an environmental one.

Hong Kong is relatively well positioned in this regard, with the Drainage Services Department (DSD) and Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) having invested significantly in blue-green infrastructure, river revitalisation, stormwater management and other climate adaptation initiatives. These efforts have strengthened the city's resilience and demonstrated the value of integrating engineering with the natural environment. Looking ahead, the challenge is how to build on these foundations by ensuring that the wider urban system remains adaptable, with sufficient redundancy, flexibility and recovery capability when extreme events exceed design expectations. In this respect, the Northern Metropolis presents a unique opportunity to further strengthen climate resilience by integrating adaptive land-use planning and flexible infrastructure strategies from the outset, complementing future adaption measures as risks continue to evolve.

With AI becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives, can it also help identify risks before they become disasters? Advances in AI and digital technologies offer powerful new tools to enhance resilience. By integrating weather forecasts, remote sensing data, real-time monitoring and predictive analytics, engineers may be able to identify emerging flood and landslide risks earlier, enabling more proactive intervention and emergency response.

Nepal's tragedy reminds us that climate change is no longer measured by rising temperatures alone. It is measured by disrupted communities, damaged infrastructure and interrupted economies. For engineers, the challenge is not simply to build stronger assets, but to design cities that can anticipate, absorb and recover from increasingly complex climate shocks.

This article is contributed by Ir Kitty Lee with the coordination of the Environmental Division.