As climate-related disasters intensify globally, cities are increasingly vulnerable to extreme rainfall and urban flooding. Hong Kong have also experienced increasingly intense and frequent heavy rainfall events in the recent years. One striking example was the unprecedented black rainstorm in September 2023 in Hong Kong, which exposed critical vulnerabilities in urban infrastructure and community preparedness. This public forum, part of the 9th CPCM Workshop, brings together experts from science, policymakers, and industry to explore collaborative strategies for managing these escalating risks.
The first session focuses on the scientific frontiers of extreme weather prediction in —highlighting the current limitations in forecasting heavy rainfall events, especially in complex urban environments. Experts will share insights into the gaps in knowledge and why strengthening predictive capabilities is critical for resilience.
The second session will focus on real-world responses. Representatives from various sectors will share how they assess and manage rain-related risks, drawing on recent events such as the unprecedented black rainstorm in Hong Kong in September 2023. The session will highlight how scientific insight is informing practical resilience strategies.
The event is fully registered. Thank you for your interest!
| Time | Program |
| 9:00 | Registration |
| 9:30 |
Opening Remarks
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| Panel 1: Understanding the Challenges - Scientific Prediction of Urban Climate Extremes Moderated by Mr. Chi-Ming Shun, Adjunct Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST |
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| 9:40 |
Panelists:
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| 10:35 | Coffee Break |
| Panel 2: Collaborative Resilience - Collaborative Resilience – How Coastal Countries and Local Industries Are Preparing for Extreme Rainfall Moderated by Prof. Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment, HKUST |
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| 10:50 |
Presentations:
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| 12:15 | Closing Remarks |
| 12:25 | Event Ends |
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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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Mr. Woody Chan As Senior Sustainability Manager at Link Asset Management, Woody Chan oversees the strategic development and communication of Link’s sustainability framework. Most recently, he spearheaded the first ever Sustainability-Linked Insurance renewal in APAC, establishing Link as a thought leader in climate resilience and sustainable finance. Prior to joining Link, Woody established the CSR & Sustainability team at foodpanda, where he pioneered a reusable food packaging initiative for food delivery. Woody has also led projects at CWR, one of Asia’s leading think tanks on climate and water risks, honing his skills in research and analysis. |
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Mr. MOK Wing-cheong, Ringo
Mr. MOK Wing-cheong, Ringo is the Director of Drainage Services Department. He has been working in various bureau/works departments and participated in numerous mega-scale development projects, including Central and Wan Chai Reclamation, West Kowloon Cultural District Development and the Northern Metropolis Development. Mr. MOK is now leading about 2,000 no. of professional, technical and administrative staff in Drainage Services Department to provide world-class wastewater and stormwater drainage services. |
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Mr. Clement Hau Clement Hau is the Chief Underwriting Officer at Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong), where he oversees the underwriting and governance of general insurance prod-ucts. With over 20 years of extensive experience in the insurance industry, his expertise spans from underwriting, insurance operations, sales and distribution, to risk and analytics. Before his promotion to Chief Underwriting Officer in 2024, Clement held several senior positions within Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong). He served as the Head of Retail Services, where he was responsible for the retail property and casualty (P&C) businesses. Prior to that, he led the Retail Business Center, Distribution Hong Kong, focusing on enhancing the company’s distribution models and developing go-to-market strategies for various lines of retail general insurance. As an industry veteran, Clement actively contributes to the insurance community. He has held multiple public posts, including Chairman of the Hong Kong Federa-tion of Insurers’ Fire Insurance Association and a member of the General Insur-ance Council since 2019. Additionally, he has been a Committee Member of the Insurance Industry Training Advisory Committee (ITAC) hosted by the Education Bureau since 2020. Clement holds three master’s degrees: a Master of Applied Business Research, a Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering and a Master of Science in Actuarial and Investment Science. |
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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. |
This public forum is part of the IX Convection Permitting Climate Modeling Workshop (9th CPCM), which is the premier international forum dedicated to advancing high-resolution climate modeling, particularly focusing on extreme precipitation and convective processes. This year, the 9th CPCM Workshop will be held in Asia for the first time, hosted in-person at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from 5–7 August 2025. For details: https://care.hkust.edu.hk/CPCMWorkshop2025
If you are interested in the 9th CPCM Workshop, please email cpcmworkshop@ust.hk.