Singapore Environmental Protection and Urban Development

Data from the Metrological Service Singapore in 2020 shows sea levels in Singapore had gone up by 14cm since pre-1970 levels and is expected to rise about 0.2m by 2050 and by 1m by 2100. Singapore’s sea-level rise is likely due to climate change, and the country is looking into protection strategies in four coastal areas to be completed by 2030.

Potential costal protection measures include sea walls, polders, and nature-based solutions like planting mangroves. Mangroves stand where land meets sea and are known for their ability to store about three times more carbon than dryland tropical rainforests. Because of their ability to trap sediment among their roots, they can help to mitigate the rising sea level. 

The Singapore Public Utilities Board (PUB) will develop a coastal-inland flood model to manage inland and coastal flooding risk and invest US$ 1 billion in drainage works over the next five years and is working with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the water management solutions provider, Hydroinformatics Institute, to develop a coastal-inland flood model.

Singapore is looking for opportunities for urban development to preserve its green areas, such as reclaiming a series of islands and connecting these islands by building barrages. This would create community spaces for recreation and also contribute to water resilience.

For more information, please contact Commercial Assistant, Sherry Ng