Singapore Takes the Lead on Rising Seas
Having just returned from some meetings in Singapore, I can report that they are a real leader in planning for sea level rise.
In his annual address to the nation on August 18th, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, very clearly said that their greatest single threat was rising sea level — full stop.
A few small island nations like the Maldives, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands have already been pleading their case that rising seas threaten their existence. But Singapore is now perhaps the largest nation, to identify sea level rise as an existential threat, putting it as their premier strategic issue.
When I am asked for examples of places planning well for rising sea level, up until now my criteria has been those that plan for at least one meter – three feet – of sea level rise this century. The list of places that are doing so is very short. In varying degrees, the list includes the Netherlands, China, Boston, San Francisco Bay, New York City, and England. They are looking ahead to at least a meter. However, given the recent melting and signs of glacial collapse in Greenland and Antarctica, even that level looks short. Cautious, smart planning should now be two or three times that.
As a small island nation, Singapore is very aware of its ocean boundary, in fact adding almost 25% to its land area by reclaiming land from the sea, similar to the Netherlands. Since the independence of the city-state in 1965 this iconic hub in Southeast Asia has demonstrated a unique strength and character. To describe it for those who are unfamiliar: Though small in size and population, it is a powerhouse, one might say it punches above its weight class, to use the boxing metaphor. At 250 square miles (725 sq. km) it is about three times the size of Martha’s Vineyard a community off Cape Cod. Yet Singapore has a population of 5.5 million, with one of the highest GDP per capita in the world. Due to harsh laws ranging from drug trafficking, to spitting gum on the ground, they are often accused of being a quasi-authoritarian government, but frankly I came away very impressed that their democratic government really works. It seemed a sharp contrast to the politicized, highly partisan short-sighted policies that the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, all demonstrate, particularly with regard to climate change.
While Singapore is a small nation, they already command respect as a sophisticated society. They are often described as a technocratic government. Their recognition of the challenge posed by rising seas is a good example of strategy and leadership. The results show. For a rather small nation, they have a vibrant diverse economy with a very high standard of living. They are competitive from sophisticated electronics manufacture to building offshore oil platforms. So it is not surprising they are also being visionary in terms of planning their future with rising seas.
For coastal defense projects they already use four meters (13 feet) as the guideline. For their new airport terminal, they are using five meters (sixteen feet). This position about rising sea level being their greatest threat underscores that position of taking smart positions.It is visionary leadership. With this recent statement by the Prime Minister, Singapore sets an example for others to follow.