Dr Hon Chim Chiu

Associate Lecturer in Physical and Environmental Geography

Researcher profile

Phone

+44 (0)1334 46 2474

Email

hcc6@st-andrews.ac.uk

 

Biography

Dr Hon Chim Chiu is an education focused academic specialising in teaching field and lab work in geography at the sub-honours level. He had previously taught in the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and the University of Hong Kong. He is specialised in the field of geomorphology and natural hazards, with a research focus on sedimentology and geomorphology of coastal systems; Quaternary evolution of monsoon systems; and storm impacts on urban coastlines.  He was the President of the Geological Society of Hong Kong in 2022-24.

In the School, he was appointed Deputy Director of Teaching in July 2024. He is currently also a PgCAP student and was awarded Advance HE Fellowship (FHEA) through the St Andrews accredited recognition scheme (STARS) in July 2025.  

Research areas

My research interests are mostly informed by the professional practice with focus on

1. Coastal geomorphic changes through time
Sedimentary archives of past events such as coastal storms; monitoring seasonal coastal dune variability; modelling beach profile changes. 

2. Mapping, planning and policy 
Relics from the war (our work in Tentsmuir); planning and zoning in/with environmental change, with a focus on tree farms; historical planning systems and the law in the Scottish context.

Consider applying for these PhD studentship projects (deadline 5 January 2027) -

Who benefits from blue-green flood resilience? Mapping the distribution, accessibility and social value of urban nature-based flood interventions

Environmental Change, Compound Hazards and Community Resilience in Tropical Delta Socio-Ecological Systems

For undergraduates : 
Consider applying for the Laidlaw Scholar programme (deadline 14 January 2027) -
 
Flood resilience in Luthrie

Selected publications

• Open access

  An opinion regarding the grid layout as a goal and parameter

  Lai, L. W. C., Davies, S. N. G., Chiu, H. C. & Ching, K. S. T., 1 Apr 2025, In: Land Use Policy. 151, 10 p., 107481.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access

  Mapping a Chinese plan for the Kowloon walled city: an initial documentary and topographical interpretation

  Davies, S. N. G., Lai, L. W. C., Leung, N. T. H., Chiu, H. C., Ching, K. S. T. & Lin, C. L., 1 Dec 2025, In: GeoJournal. 90, 6, 12 p., 296.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access

  Testing the effectiveness of hybrid infrastructural/nature based sand dune restoration as defence for an urban coastal community in Hong Kong

  Chiu, H. C., Leung, E. Y. L. & Wong, A. T. L., 14 Mar 2025.

  Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review

• A preliminary Coasian proposal for tree auditing via planning control of tree farms

  Lai, L. W. C., Chau, K. W., Davies, S. N. G., Chiu, H. C. & Lorne, F. T., 1 Dec 2024, In: Forest Policy and Economics. 169, 6 p., 103315.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access

  Discovery flows from mapping for conservation planning: the case of finding and mapping of Second World War British Hong Kong defence structures

  Davies, S. N. G., Lai, L. W. C., Tan, Y. K. & Chiu, H. C., 12 Nov 2024, In: Town Planning Review. 95, 6, p. 597-616 20 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access

  Hong Kong 2100: factors of “worst-case scenario” flooding and a flood map

  Chan, H. Y. A. & Chiu, H. C., 1 Sept 2023, Surveying and Built Environment, 32, 2, p. 97-109 13 p.

  Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

• Extreme storm events as threats to coastal communities: a study of Big Wave Bay using map and aerial photo information

  Wong, T. L. & Chiu, H. C., 1 Dec 2022, Surveying and Built Environment, 31, 2, p. 6-21 16 p.

  Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

• Recrystallization of Holocene calcareous root tubes in the Tengger Desert, Northwest China and its effects on the reliability of paleoenvironmental reconstruction results

  Li, Z., Zhu, R., Gao, Y., Chiu, H. C. & Liao, H., 10 Oct 2020, In: Quaternary International. 562, p. 85-93 9 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• An unsupervised learning approach to study synchroneity of past events in the South China Sea

  Tse, K. C., Chiu, H. C., Tsang, M. Y., Li, Y. & Lam, E. Y., 1 Sept 2019, In: Frontiers of Earth Science. 13, 3, p. 628-640 13 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Unsupervised learning on scientific ocean drilling datasets from the South China Sea

  Tse, K. C., Chiu, H. C., Tsang, M. Y., Li, Y. & Lam, E. Y., 1 Mar 2019, In: Frontiers of Earth Science. 13, 1, p. 180-190 11 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

 

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