Singapore plans to build artificial islands off its east coast to protect part of its territory from rising sea levels caused by climate change, one of its ministers announced.
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Engineering and environmental impact studies for a project called Long Island will begin in 2024 and last five years, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said on Tuesday.
The newly created areas could span 800 hectares, giving the densely populated city-state more space for housing, parks and industry, Lee added.
Consisting of 63 islands and a population of 6.2 million, Singapore covers 724 km2 and has one of the highest population densities in the world.
In 2019, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned of sea level rise, which he said posed a “serious threat” to Singapore.
The work needed to protect the coast could amount to or even exceed 100 billion Singapore dollars (US$75 billion) over the next 100 years, he added.
Singapore’s planning authority, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), has consulted the public about the project, which could take several decades to develop.
Artificial islands could be built off the coast to form a “line of defense” against sea level rise, the URA said on its website.
Government authorities had also examined the possibility of building a three-meter-high embankment along the waterfront. However, the construction would cause “prolonged disruption” for park users, while the necessary pumping stations would take up space equivalent to about 15 football fields.
For coastal science specialist Adam Switzer, the Long Island project requires “various in-depth studies” to be carried out, in particular by studying the effects on coastal currents and the seabed. “The potential impacts on the built and natural environments need to be considered very carefully,” said Mr Switzer, a professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
Mr Switzer recalled that Singapore has a long history in this area, citing Changi Airport, the Marina Bay financial district and Tuas Port.
Koh Chan Ghee, a professor at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said natural solutions such as the development of mangroves, marine vegetation and coral reefs should also be considered.