News

Concurrent heatwaves and sea level rises happening more at coastal locations, PolyU study finds

A research conducted by Dr WANG Shuo, Member of RISUD and Associate Professor in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), and his team has found that the concurrent occurrence of heatwaves and extreme short-term sea level rises at coastal locations significantly increased between 1998 and 2017 when compared to the preceding 20 years. The study also predicted that, under a modelled high emissions scenario, the probability of the occurrence of such events in 2025–2049 may multiply by fivefold. The study has been published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.   Read the article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01274-1   Online coverage: Forbes - https://polyu.me/4aw2tKM The Straits Times - https://polyu.me/3W0TgWf France 24 - https://polyu.me/43VGjiq Eyewitness News - https://polyu.me/3VSO2vK Deccan Herald - https://polyu.me/3vGHlCp The Telegraph Calcutta, India - https://polyu.me/49Afgdy Malay Mail - https://polyu.me/3vHSjaO Daily Excelsior - https://polyu.me/4aWw145 EurekAlert - https://polyu.me/3UgcSV1 China News Service - https://polyu.me/3W2qmoV ifeng.com - https://polyu.me/3UdjgMT

The Workshop on Climate-resilient Coastal Cities and Rural Areas I was successfully held

The Workshop on Climate-resilient Coastal Cities and Rural Areas I was successfully held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) on 11 April 2024. The workshop aims to provide a platform for in-depth exchanges on the development of climate-resilient coastal cities, and to serve as a catalyst for developing further collaborations on engineering adaptation of coastal cities to cater for the effects of extreme weather events. 12 leading researchers from local, Mainland, and overseas institutions were invited to share their perspectives and insights on key topics, covering both the current status and future challenges, to identify future research needs and collaboration opportunities. The workshop concluded with a round-table discussion session to consolidate the current understanding of key issues and to outline key research directions for the future.

Prof. WEI, RISUD member, received Hong Kong Engineering Science and Technology Award 2023

Professor WEI Minchen Tommy, Professor of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering and member of RISUD, has been honored with the prestigious Hong Kong Engineering Science and Technology (HKEST) Award 2023. This esteemed award recognizes Prof. WEI's exceptional contributions and achievements in the field of optical engineering, with a particular focus on color and imaging science. The HKEST Award, presented by the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES), celebrates individuals who have made significant advancements in the domains of engineering, science, and technology. Prof. WEI's groundbreaking research and remarkable work in optical engineering have earned him this well-deserved recognition.

Dr James Fang, RISUD member, named one of the six Pew Marine Fellows worldwide

Dr James Kar-Hei Fang, Associate Professor and Member of RISUD, has been selected as one of the six global recipients for the 2024 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation. Dr Fang is the sole recipient from the entire East Asia region this year. The Pew Marine Fellows are selected by an international expert committee of marine science through a rigorous nomination and review process. Each recipient of the Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation is granted US$150,000 over three years to pursue a research project dedicated to marine conservation. Dr. Fang’s research focuses on restoring pearl oyster reefs in order to promote coastal environmental health, biodiversity and seafood sustainability in urban Hong Kong.

RISUD develops biomineralisation technique to prevent microbial corrosion in marine structures

Prof. LI Xiangdong, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, Director of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, Chair Professor of Environmental Science and Technology, Ko Jan Ming Professor in Sustainable Urban Development and his research team, have successfully developed a novel biomineralisation technique, which can effectively protect marine concrete from microbially induced corrosion, thereby contributing to the achievement of sustainable coastal structures.  Sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is a type of anaerobic bacteria which accelerates the production of hydrogen sulphide that can lead to material corrosion and deterioration. The biomineralisation technique developed by the team is an environmentally friendly coating method. It utilises carbon dioxide to produce mineral precipitates on concrete surfaces. This results in the formation of a biomineralised film, which acts as a protective layer to control sulphate diffusion and isolate concrete from the corrosive SRB. This biomineralisation strategy has strong potential for applications in various environments in which microbial corrosion occurs, such as marine environments, sewage environments, and water-cooling utilities. The research “Biomineralization to prevent microbially induced corrosion on concrete for sustainable marine infrastructure” was published in Environmental Science & Technology.  Further reading: https://polyu.hk/OXIRi Read the full article: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c04680

RISUD EXCO Member secures Strategic Public Policy Research Funding from the Government to drive cross-regional cooperation in GBA construction industry

The project “Policy Framework for Cross-Regional Cooperation Strategies in the Greater Bay Area’s Construction Industry”, led by Prof. Geoffrey Q.P. SHEN, Executive Committee Member of RISUD, PolyU Associate Vice President (Global Partnerships) and Chair Professor of Construction Management of the Department of Building and Real Estate, has received HK$3.96 million funding support from the SPPRFS 2023/24 for a period of 36 months. Focusing on development opportunities for the GBA under the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the research examines three strategic areas - talent cooperation, project management cooperation and regulatory cooperation. It aims to provide effective guidance and identify appropriate strategies to enable government departments and the industry to promote high-quality cooperation within the construction industry across the GBA.    Press release: English - https://polyu.me/3RWaqAN; Chinese - https://polyu.me/48Vlq8e   Online coverage: Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/3TWOcRR (subscription required) Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3vKU7z6 Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/48KDiTo

Prof. Jerry Yan, RISUD Executive Committee Member, bestowed HKAES Fellow honour

Congratulations to Prof. Jerry YAN Jinyue, Chair Professor of Energy and Buildings, Executive Committee Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), on his election as 2023 Fellows of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES), in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of science, engineering and technology for the benefit of society. The HKAES is a professional engineering organisation in Hong Kong. Elected fellows are recognised leaders in their professions with distinguished achievements in engineering sciences and their applications. A total of 13 engineering experts received the prestigious honour this year.

Prof. Raymond WONG, RISUD Executive Committee Member, elected as Foreign Member of European Academy of Sciences

Congratulations to Prof. Raymond WONG Wai-yeung, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Executive Committee Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), on his election as a Foreign Member of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) in the Chemistry Division! EurASc is a renowned international association dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and promoting scientific excellence and collaboration. This esteemed recognition is a testament to Prof. Wong’s remarkable research achievements and his outstanding contributions to the field of chemistry around the world.

RISUD member receive Green Tech Fund to drive sustainability innovations

Congratulations to Dr Shao-Yuan LEU, member of RISUD and Associate Professor of CEE, whose project titled “Study of Ammonia Pretreatment - Power Generation System toward Complete Valorization of Food Waste Digestate” has been awarded HK$6.87 million funding by Green Tech Fund (GTF). The project aims at enabling an efficient mitigation of greenhouse gas emission, supporting the Hong Kong government to realize carbon neutrality, and providing model strategic solutions for anaerobic digestion (AD) technology related ammonia management.   Further reading: https://polyu.hk/dWgwv Online coverage: Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/3vWJ5Hv

The International Symposium on Reclamations Using Local Dredged Sediments was successfully held

The International Symposium on Reclamations Using Local Dredged Sediments was successfully held on Friday 26 January 2024, with the great effort of the co-organizations, the Geotechnical Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of PolyU. The Symposium was greatly supported by ASCE Greater China Section, Hong Kong Geotechnical Society, Institution of Civil Engineering Hong Kong, Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) of PolyU. Three opening speeches, six keynote talks and six invited talks were delivered by the distinguished guests from government, universities and industries across Chinese Mainland, Singapore, Japan, Macau and Hong Kong. The symposium attracted more than 150 local participants and 90 participants outside of Hong Kong. The presentations and discussions have effectively demonstrated how the use of local dredged sediments can offer a practical and eco-friendly solution to land scarcity issues in various regions.