Hong Kong has been selected as a pioneer case study city for Urban-PREDICT, a major 5-year international research programme launched by the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) to improve how cities understand, anticipate, and respond to multi-hazard weather risks. The selection was confirmed at the programme’s inaugural Steering Group (SG) meeting and workshop, held at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from 3–5 November 2025.
Bringing together experts from six continents spanning physical sciences, modelling, urban governance, and community engagement, the SG assessed twelve candidate cities from around the world before confirming Hong Kong as one of three cities to lead the programme’s first implementation phase.
Why Hong Kong?
Hong Kong was selected for its exceptional strengths across all dimensions of the Urban-PREDICT framework:
- Mature, coordinated governance – Clear institutional roles across meteorology, drainage, emergency management, health, and community resilience enable rapid, cross-sectoral collaboration.
- Rich observational and modelling infrastructure – Extensive datasets and operational modelling systems support advanced scientific work in hazard prediction and AI–physics integration.
- Complex multi-hazard profile – Exposure to intense rainfall, flooding, typhoons, extreme heat, and compound events makes Hong Kong an ideal environment for developing and testing multi-hazard early warning approaches.
- Strong cross-sector partnerships – High levels of engagement across government agencies, academia, industry, and civil-society partners create an environment capable of mobilising quickly across the full scope of Urban-PREDICT activities.
- Host of the International Coordination Office (ICO) – With the ICO based in Hong Kong, the city is well positioned to serve as an anchor for the programme, helping to develop frameworks and lessons that can be adapted for cities worldwide.
About Urban-PREDICT and the Selection Process
Urban-PREDICT is structured around four interconnected Work Packages (WPs): governance and institutional pathways (WP1), hazard–scale relationships (WP2), AI–physics hybrid modelling (WP3), and vulnerability, communication, and behavioural responses (WP4). Together, these form a co-learning pathway that links governance, science, modelling, and community engagement.
The SG assessed twelve candidate cities — São Paulo, Mexico City, Medellín, Montevideo, Maputo, Lusaka, Delhi, Hong Kong, Beijing, Paris, Denver, and Sydney — against criteria including hazard diversity, data availability, institutional readiness, feasibility for early progress, and regional representation. A key threshold for any case study city was the ability to begin WP1 and WP4 work immediately, using existing institutional networks and partnerships.
Following the structured multi-stage assessment, three cities were confirmed as pioneer case study cities — Hong Kong, Montevideo, and Lusaka — each selected for distinct strengths that together provide a globally diverse foundation for the programme. The remaining nominated cities will contribute to specific Work Packages as supporting example cities.
What Comes Next for Hong Kong
Work in Hong Kong will begin immediately, focusing on governance mapping, stakeholder engagement, and communication assessments under WP1 and WP4. In parallel, Hong Kong’s rich data environment will support early scientific development in WP2 and WP3, including hazard–scale analysis and AI–physics modelling experiments.
A dedicated task force, led by a Steering Group member, will coordinate Hong Kong’s WP1–WP4 activities, bringing together local scientists, government partners, community organisations, and international experts to guide the city’s co-learning and co-production work.
Frameworks and tools developed in Hong Kong will be progressively tested and refined across the broader set of Urban-PREDICT cities, ensuring the programme’s methods are robust, transferable, and globally relevant.
