Webinar on “The 1963 Drought: Is it time to forget about it?”

Dr Frederick Lee, Executive Director of the Water Centre, delivered a talk at a webinar organised by the Nanyang Technological University’s History Department and Hong Kong Research Hub. Dr. Lee argued that the official narrative of Hong Kong’s water story has been anchored in the 1963 drought, but circumstances have changed. Continuing to fear the spectre of drought-induced water-use restrictions runs the risk of our becoming prisoners of this entrenched narrative—blinded by outdated premises and overlooking the most pressing issues in water planning in the 21st century. It is time for us to contemplate alternative narratives that will help us address real challenges.