Hong Kong to host the IFLA World Congress as rising seas redraw Asia’s coastlines

The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA) will host the IFLA World and Asia-Pacific Region Congress from October 28th to 30th, 2026. This event will unite landscape architects, planners, and policymakers from over 80 countries, marking Hong Kong’s debut as the host city for the IFLA World Congress.

The Congress theme is “Liminal Landscapes: Shifting Boundaries of Watersheds & Coastlines,” focusing on how cities can plan and design for dynamic coastlines and river systems that are constantly changing, especially as they increasingly showcase the impacts of climate change. Over three days, the event will feature keynote speeches, scientific panels, workshops, and awards ceremonies, drawing on Hong Kong’s experience as a city at the land-sea interface to foster a globally relevant discussion.

“For years, landscape architects have argued that the space between land and water needs proper design attention, not just engineering,” he said. “This Congress puts that argument on a world stage, in a city that lives with the consequences of that boundary every day. We want delegates to leave Hong Kong with practical tools and partnerships they can take back to their own cities, and we want the wider public and business community to understand why landscape architects now sit at the centre of how Asia adapts to a changing climate.”

Mr. Paul Chan, IFLA Asia-Pacific Region President and Immediate Past President of HKILA

The theme highlights a challenge common to all coastal cities in Asia. Hong Kong, situated at the Pearl River Delta’s mouth, is described by Congress organizers as fundamentally liminal—neither entirely land nor water, constantly shaped by tides, storms, and human activity. The Congress will examine how landscape architects can collaborate with these fluctuating boundaries, focusing on watershed management, coastal resilience, sponge cities, nature-based solutions, and the cultural landscapes where water and settlements meet.

Sessions across the three days include dedicated tracks on climate action, disaster risk reduction, indigenous knowledge and the Sustainable Development Goals, reflecting how far the discipline has moved beyond garden design and into the frontline of climate adaptation planning.

Find out more about the 2026 IFLA World Congress at https://www.ifla2026.com/