COASTAL STUDIES IN SENTOSA, SOUTH-WEST SINGAPORE
To address rising sea levels, the ministry announced plans to ramp up coastal protection measures, including two new site-specific studies for Sentosa and Singapore’s south-west coast.
The third national climate change study projected that mean sea levels around Singapore could rise by up to 1.15m by 2100 and up to 2m by 2150.
“With around 30 per cent of our land less than 5m above mean sea level, Singapore is vulnerable to the impact of sea level rise,” MSE said.
Some locations such as East Coast Park already experience “sporadic” episodes of coastal flooding when high tide coincides with heavy rainfall, it added.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced during his Budget speech on Feb 18 that another S$5 billion will be injected into the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund. This adds on to the initial injection of S$5 billion when the fund was first announced in 2020 to protect Singapore against rising sea levels and enhance flood resilience.
The two new site studies will start by 2026. The Sentosa study will cover about 16km of the coastline and take into account the island’s role as a leisure and tourism destination, MSE said. It will be led by Sentosa Development Corp and integrated with its future development plans.
The south-west coast study will span about 116km from Tuas to Pasir Panjang, covering industrial and port areas such as Tuas Port and Pasir Panjang terminals, as well as recreational spaces like West Coast Park. MSE said it will study how to align coastal protection measures with the area’s development plans.
Since 2021, PUB and other government agencies have embarked on site-specific studies for the city-east coast, north-west coast and Jurong Island to assess coastal vulnerabilities.
Details on the coastal protection plans for the Greater Southern Waterfront and Changi – part of the city-east coast study – are expected to be unveiled in the second half of this year.
In response to CNA’s queries, the director of PUB’s Coastal Protection Department Hazel Khoo said the coastal protection measures will be progressively implemented from the 2030s.
This implementation will stretch over a few decades, starting with measures at the city-east coast, which includes “Long Island”.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said that funds for these measures will come from the annual Budget, the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund, and through borrowing.
“Where eligible, such as for land reclamation costs, we will also use the past reserves,” she told parliament on Tuesday.
“We will continue to study how best to finance these measures in a way that is fiscally sustainable and equitable across generations.”
NEW COASTAL PROTECTION LEGISLATION
To support the implementation of coastal protection plans, MSE and PUB will introduce the Coastal Protection Bill in the second half of this year.
The legislation will outline stakeholder responsibilities, safeguard land for coastal protection measures and enforce compliance with coastal protection standards.
PUB also plans to launch a code of practice for coastal protection by the first half of 2026 to provide a set of standards for the industry on the design, construction and operation of various coastal protection structures in Singapore – similar to what it has for surface water drainage.
To complement this, a flood-resilient developments guidebook will be developed, with case studies and guidelines for landowners to enhance their properties’ flood resilience.
MSE will also progressively roll out infrastructural interventions to build Singapore’s resilience to rising temperatures, said Ms Fu.
Cool coatings will be applied to all existing Housing and Development Board estates across Singapore by 2030.
The ministry is studying the effectiveness of cool coatings to other infrastructure archetypes, such as schools and hawker centres, Ms Fu added.
