Singapore seeks to mitigate rising sea levels, hotter temperatures

Amongst climate mitigation plans include reclaiming around 800 hectares of land.

Singapore has highlighted the need to tackle rising sea levels and rising temperatures in its new climate report.

Speaking at a symposium for the country’s third national climate change study, Grace Fu, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, said that the government is looking to review their existing plans to tackle climate risks.

Fu reiterated the Lion City’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Most recently, Singapore raised its carbon tax to S$25 per tonne, and will further raise the tax to between S$50 to S$80 by 2030.

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Reclamation
To tackle the rising sea level, Singapore has begun technical studies for “Long Island,” which could involve reclaiming around 800 hectares of land and protecting the low-lying East Coast of Singapore.

The plan will reportedly integrate coastal protection with future land use needs, create a new freshwater reservoir to enhance long-term water resilience, Fu said.

Singapore has also launched the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (or CFI) Singapore, hosted at NUS, over the past year.

City design
To cope with rising temperatures, meanwhile, Singapore has used measurements, modelling, and simulation to improve city design and enhance their knowledge of urban heat and its impact on human health, Fu shared.

Already, Singapore is utilising passive design strategies. It has also launched the Heat Stress Advisory to its residents

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To deepen understanding on climate risks and inform Singapore’s long-term plans, the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) is launching a second grant. It calls for proposals to better understand climate change impacts on the city’s water resources, maritime, and port infrastructure, the incursion and spread of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, and abilities to adapt to heat.

This expands from the first grant call, launched in 2023, which led to eight projects being awarded to a diverse group of researchers across Singapore’s Institutes of Higher Learning, Fu said.