Resilience Commons: Hong Kong’s Blueprint for Flood Resilience with Ringo Mok, Director of Drainage Services at Hong Kong SAR

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Ringo Mok, Director of Drainage Services Department at Hong Kong SAR, about how Hong Kong is shaping itself into a flood resilient coastal city. Ringo shares his career path into public service and outlines the Drainage Services Department’s scale, missions, and major achievements, including the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme and the Regulation of Shenzhen River project. He explains how climate change, intense rainfall, and Hong Kong’s compact, low-lying geography require a holistic, integrated flood management approach beyond infrastructure alone, framed as the “Resilience Commons” with shared community responsibility. Ringo details the department’s Adaptation Resilience Management (ARM) framework and describes the response to Super Typhoon Ragasa in 2025, highlighting preparedness, real-time monitoring, rapid recovery, and public engagement.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:31 Ringo’s Career Journey01:32 What DSD Does02:14 Scale and Operations03:28 Signature Projects04:10 Flood Risk Evolution06:02 Resilience Commons Concept06:31 ARM Framework Overview06:52 Pillar 1 Adaptation07:30 Pillar 2 Resilience08:30 Pillar 3 Management09:27 Case Study Typhoon Ragasa11:47 Lessons and Future Approach12:15 Advice to Younger Self14:12 Wrap Up and Thanks