In recent years, Hong Kong has experienced increasingly intense and frequent heavy rainfall events, culminating in the record-breaking black rainstorm of September 2023. As climate-related disasters escalate globally, urban centers like Hong Kong are facing growing vulnerabilities from extreme rainfall and flooding.
This public forum, part of the international IX Convection Permitting Climate Modeling Workshop (9th CPCM), brings together leading international scientists, local policymakers, and industry leaders to explore collaborative strategies for understanding, predicting, and managing these escalating risks.
Featured International Speakers:
- Prof. Jason Evans, Professor, Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales; Science Advisor, WCRP CORDEX Program
- Dr. Faye Abigail Cruz, Manila Observatory, Philippines; Co-chair, WCRP CORDEX-SEA
- Prof. Andreas Prein, GEWEX Hydroclimatology Panel; WCRP Digital Earths Lighthouse
Invited Local Speakers including representatives from Government departments (e.g., Hong Kong Observatory, Development Bureau) and Industry sectors (e.g., real estate, insurance, and finance). Final confirmations will be shared in the updated program.
Session 1: Understanding the Challenges - Scientific Prediction of Urban Climate Extremes
This session focuses on the scientific frontiers of extreme weather prediction. Experts will share insights into the gaps in knowledge and why strengthening predictive capabilities is critical for resilience.
Moderated by Mr. Chi-Ming Shun, Adjunct Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST
Session 2: Impact and Resilience - How Industries Are Preparing for Extreme Rainfall
This session will focus on real-world responses. Representatives from various sectors will share how they assess and manage rain-related risks, drawing on recent extreme rainfall events. The session will also highlight how scientific insight is informing practical resilience strategies.
Moderated by Prof. Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment, HKUST
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Prof. Jason Evans Jason did his PhD at the Australian National University before working for several as a research fellow at Yale University, USA. He then took an academic position at the University of New South Wales, Australia, where he is currently a Professor in Climate Science. Jason has held multiple leadership positions within elements of the World Climate Research Program including currently serving on the CORDEX Science Advisory Team. Jason is an expert in the science of the climate system particularly in regards to land-atmosphere interactions, the water cycle and regional climate change. His research investigates regional climate processes, how global climate change manifests itself at regional and local scales, and how these changes impact climate change risks to various human and natural systems. He uses convection permitting climate modelling to investigate these questions at scales that are relevant for key processes that generate various climatic hazards and are meaningful for decision making. |
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Dr. Faye Abigail Cruz Dr Faye Abigail Cruz is a climate scientist, and Head of the Regional Climate Systems Laboratory at the Manila Observatory in the Philippines. She currently serves as Co-chair of CORDEX Southeast Asia and is a member of the CORDEX Science Advisory Team. With her expertise in regional climate modeling, she has been working on transdisciplinary projects to provide enhanced climate information to support climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the Philippines. She was a Lead Author in the IPCC AR6 Working Group I, and a contributing author in the Philippine climate change assessment reports. |
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Prof. Andreas Prein Andreas F. Prein is a professor at ETH Zurich and a leading expert in high-resolution weather and climate modeling. His research focuses on the physical drivers of extreme weather events in a changing climate, with an emphasis on mesoscale processes and convection-permitting models. Before joining ETH, he spent over a decade at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), where he also served as Deputy Director of the Center for Climate and Weather Extremes. His work bridges fundamental process understanding and practical applications, supporting decision-making in areas such as infrastructure resilience and water management. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers, many of which are highly cited, and serves on international scientific panels, including WCRP and GEWEX. Recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher and recipient of multiple awards, Andreas is also a frequent advisor to government agencies and international initiatives focused on climate extremes. |
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Prof. CHEN Fei Fei Chen is currently the Associate Head of the Division of Environment and Sustainability at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Prior to this role, he spent over 26 years at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and led projects to develop the community Noah and Noah-MP land/hydrology models, and the WRF-Urban and WRF-Crop coupled models. These modeling systems have been widely used at international operational weather prediction centres. His research interests and expertise include understanding land-atmosphere interactions and their impacts on boundary layer structures and precipitation. He also investigates the feedback mechanisms between soil moisture, vegetation conditions, land-use and land-cover changes, urbanisation, agriculture management, and regional hydroclimate. His research extends to urban heat islands and their adaptation strategies, and urban extreme weather and climate. He serves as the co-chair of the UN World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) Urban Prediction Project and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) My Climate Risk Scientific Steering Group. He chaired the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Award Nomination Committee and the board on the Urban Environment. He was an elected board member of the International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC) Board. He was elected to a fellow of the AMS in 2013 and received the 2018 Helmut E. Landsberg Award from the AMS. |
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Prof. Christine Loh Prof. Christine Loh is the Chief Development Strategist at the Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Previously, she held the positions of Special Consultant to the Office of the Chief Executive of the HKSAR Government on the ecological civilization aspects of the Greater Bay Area Outline Development Plan (2019-2020); and Under Secretary for the Environment in the HKSAR Government (2012-2017). She was the CEO of Civic Exchange, an independent non-profit public policy think tank (2000-2012). Before that, Prof. Loh served as a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, first appointed in 1992 and later elected in 1995 and 1998. Earlier, she spent 14 years in the private commercial sector in commodities trading. Currently, she is a board member of Global Maritime Forum, New Forests Pty Ltd, Towngas Smart Energy Company Limited, and is Asia Society’s Scholar in Residence. She is also a Steering Committee member of the United Nations International Organization for Migration’s new Climate Mobility Innovation Lab. |
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Mr. Chi-ming Shun In the international arena, Mr. Shun was President of the Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology of the UN World Meteorological Organization during 2010-2018, the first Asian elected to take up this high international position. He was also the Vice-Chairman of the Asia/Pacific Communications, Navigation and Surveillance / Meteorology Sub-Group, in charge of Meteorology, of the UN International Civil Aviation Organization during 2003-2009. After retirement, Mr. Shun has been active in popularization of science and meteorology, as a writer of books, columnist on climate change, and speaker for schools and professional bodies. He also co-organized HKUST’s Climate Adaptation and Resilience Conference (CARE2022). In May 2023, Mr Shun was appointed member of the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development. |