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.
Source: CNA
