The study on Sentosa Island will be led by Sentosa Development Corporation, which will integrate coastal protection measures in the resort island’s upcoming development plans. It will cover about 16km of the coastline and will take into account the island’s function as a leisure and tourism destination.
The study area on the south-west coast will cover about 116km of coastline and stretch from Tuas to Pasir Panjang, said national water agency PUB. The area is mainly used for waterfront industrial estates, port facilities such as Tuas Port and Pasir Panjang terminals, and recreational areas like West Coast Park.
Studies to determine coastal protection solutions for Sentosa, south-western coast to start by 2026
The study area at the south-west coast will cover about 116km of coastline and will stretch from Tuas to Pasir Panjang.PHOTO: PUB
Chin Hui Shan Straits Times 4 Mar 2025
SINGAPORE – Singapore will be embarking on a slew of efforts to help it better prepare for the impacts of climate change, with the roll-out of a new weather science research programme and two new studies that will look into how coastlines can be protected from rising seas.
These initiatives were announced by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on March 4, during the debate on her ministry’s budget.
She said: “Just as past generations laid the groundwork for the green and liveable Singapore we enjoy today, let us do our part to ensure that future generations will look back with pride at the choices we made.”
To tackle sea-level rise, two site-specific studies on Sentosa Island and the nation’s south-west coast will begin by 2026.
These are among eight islandwide studies Singapore is conducting on its coastlines to determine the most suitable coastal protection solutions for each segment.
The coastlines have been divided into segments so that studies can be carried out based on each area’s needs and challenges, while considering factors such as vulnerability of the coastlines and alignment with planned developments.
The study on Sentosa Island will be led by Sentosa Development Corporation, which will integrate coastal protection measures in the resort island’s upcoming development plans.
It will cover about 16km of the coastline and will take into account the island’s function as a leisure and tourism destination.
The study area on the south-west coast will cover about 116km of coastline and stretch from Tuas to Pasir Panjang, said national water agency PUB.
The area is mainly used for waterfront industrial estates, port facilities such as Tuas Port and Pasir Panjang terminals, and recreational areas like West Coast Park.
Helmed by PUB, the study will take into account findings from the ongoing feasibility study on coastal barriers and the site study on Jurong Island.
A coastal barrier is a structure designed to protect the coastline from rising sea levels, erosion or storm surges.
The Straits Times reported in 2022 that Singapore is studying the feasibility of such barriers to protect Singapore’s south-western coastline from storm surges, which are higher-than-usual tides caused by storms brewing offshore.
According to Singapore’s Third National Climate Change Study, the mean sea level around Singapore could rise by up to 1.15m by 2100. If fossil fuel use accelerates, sea levels could rise by around 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,” said PUB.
Giving the House an update on other site-specific studies, Ms Fu said details of the coastal protection plans for Changi and the Greater Southern Waterfront will be unveiled in the second half of 2025. The construction for the recommended measures is expected to start from the 2030s.
In response to queries from ST, PUB’s director of coastal protection department Hazel Khoo said there could be different coastal protection measures such as sea walls, barriers and earth bunds for various segments of the coastline, depending on existing and future land-use plans in these areas.
For example, the proposed measures at the Greater Southern Waterfront will be integrated into the Greater Sentosa Master Plan.
The Changi and the Greater Southern Waterfront areas are part of the low-lying City-East Coast segment of Singapore’s coastline. The site-specific study for this segment started in 2021.
Long Island is a project that is expected to reclaim about 800ha of land off East Coast in the coming decades as a solution to protect East Coast from sea-level rise, which is part of the City-East Coast site study.
The measures for Changi and the Greater Southern Waterfront could be funded by the additional $5 billion injection into the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget speech on Feb 18.
The fund was set up in 2020 to protect Singapore against rising sea levels and enhance flood resilience.
In response to a question by Ms Nadia Samdin (Ang Mo Kio GRC) on how coastal protection is funded, Ms Fu said the Government plans to tap the fund and through borrowing. Where eligible, such as for land reclamation, it will also use past reserves.
Studies for Jurong Island and the north-western coast – which has been divided into two sites – are also on track, said PUB.
To help implement coastal protection plans, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and PUB will be proposing new legislation in the second half of 2025. This is to outline the responsibilities of stakeholders, safeguard land for coastal protection measures and ensure that coastal protection standards are complied with.
With climate change causing weather patterns to become more erratic, Singapore is also launching a $25 million Weather Science Research Programme to improve forecasts.
Weather in Singapore is affected by many different factors, making prediction challenging.
For example, rainfall can increase because of large-scale weather patterns, such as the La Nina climate phenomenon which spans the entire Pacific Ocean, or can be brought about by more localised processes. Light winds in the tropics can also make it difficult to predict the movement of localised storms.
But recent advancements in weather research and technology, such as high-resolution modelling, artificial intelligence and enhanced remote-sensing observational networks, can help to tackle these challenges, said Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS).
MSS’ Centre for Climate Research Singapore will work with institutes of higher learning and research institutes to improve weather prediction for Singapore and the region by incorporating the latest scientific and technological developments.
For example, researchers can use AI to combine data from various sources and better predict heavy rainfall and strong winds.
The programme will also develop advanced weather prediction systems to research how local weather is affected by ocean and land conditions, improving the ability to forecast phenomena like Sumatra squalls, which are an organised line of thunderstorms that develop over the Indonesian island of Sumatra or the Strait of Malacca, and can be associated with strong wind gusts.
Funded under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan, the programme is now open for research proposals from local research institutions. The projects are expected to be awarded in the second half of 2025.
Singapore is also developing a national adaptation plan, which lays out a country’s medium- and long-term solutions to limit the impact of climate change on communities.
Under the Paris Agreement, the world’s climate pact, countries are urged to have such plans ready by 2025.
UN Climate Change said on Jan 22 that 64 countries – mostly developing or least developed nations – have submitted their national plans. South-east Asian countries which have done so include Cambodia, Thailand, Timor-Leste and the Philippines.
“In the face of increasing yet uncertain climate risks, the national adaptation plan will serve as a long-term, living strategy for Singapore to continue thriving in the future,” said Ms Fu.
