Singapore (Commonwealth Union)_ Koh Poh Koon, senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, announced the launch of a research initiative with a budget of $125 million to enhance Singapore’s coastal protection and flood management skills. According to the national water agency PUB, the initiative may complement its statewide site-specific coastal protection studies and its coastal and inland flood model, both of which have been developed to better assess the effects of climate change on coastal areas of Singapore.
According to PUB, the new project will comprise four study areas that together aim to produce creative, sustainable, and intelligent solutions for Singapore’s urban and land-constrained environment, which is a common challenge faced by many coastal cities. This involves the development of sustainable coastal protection solutions, the incorporation of nature-based solutions like mangroves, and the use of intelligent management techniques, such as artificial intelligence.
The project will be inaugurated in a new multi-institutional Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the National University of Singapore, with Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), and the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*Star) as partner institutes. According to PUB, the sea levels surrounding Singapore are anticipated to rise by up to 1 meter by 2100 due to climate change. Moreover, frequent occurrences of severe storms with greater rainfall intensities might enhance the likelihood of flooding. As a result, Singapore must strengthen its overall coastline and flood resilience.
According to Ms Hazel Khoo, Director of PUB’s Coastal Protection Department, “Through the CoE, we are planning to create around 40 to 50 new research jobs, as well as train around 20 to 30 PhD students. At the same time, there are synergies for institutions partnering the CoE to develop undergraduate specialization in coastal engineering and post-graduate programs in climate adaptation and flood management, so that we can build a sustained pipeline of local professionals for coastal research and the industry.”
According to Ms. Khoo, the program’s objective is to increase our understanding of the modeling of coastal dynamics, the joint occurrence of severe sea levels, waves, and storms, and how they would be impacted by sea level rise and climate change. She noted that this would be essential for evaluating the consequences of sea level rise and climate change on coastal processes and inland floods, therefore guiding the development of the most effective remedies. Dr Koh stated, “The program’s applied research and living lab components will assist the test-bedding of interdisciplinary urban flood solutions and equip our industries with the potential to create and eventually export the next generation of coastal and flood protection solutions.”
