Climate change in Singapore: Society must take lead

K. Kesavapany, Straits Times 17 Mar 10;

Much of Singapore's reaction to climate change has been top-down and government-led. Citizens and civil society groups should take responsibility for the country's greener growth. Civil society should take the lead in creating awareness, and in conducting education campaigns and community events to get people involved.

WHEN the Doha Round of multilateral negotiations began to flounder, it was obvious to Singapore that it could not drift along on the long road to nowhere. What followed was a hectic phase in the city-state's economic diplomacy that saw it at the heart of efforts to launch freetrade agreements, both bilateral and multilateral.

Several countries opposed Singapore's stance, arguing that it would affect multilateral negotiations, but there was no alternative for a trade-dependent city-state. In the event, bilateral and regional trade agreements became a complement of, not a threat to, multilateralism.

The inconclusiveness of the United Nations' Copenhagen summit on climate change presents a far more formidable set of challenges to Singapore. Again, it is easy to say that the issue is far too big for a small country to do anything about. But precisely because it is a small country, Singapore is challenged to tackle the problem as best as it can, while waiting for a global solution.

Singapore policymakers understand the issues. What is important is that their understanding percolates down to the public, without whose support Singapore cannot become a more environmentally friendly country.

When it comes to rising sea levels, the stakes are particularly high for Singapore. The island's highest point is Bukit Timah Hill, which is just 165m above sea level. The Central Business District, the airport and seaports are all located along the coast and lie less than 2m above sea level. Many of the reservoirs lie adjacent to the coast, putting them at risk of water contamination from rising sea levels.

Singapore has experienced the effects of rising sea levels before. In 1974, a rare astronomical event caused the tides to rise 3.9m, more than double the usual level. Areas along the Singapore River were inundated, as well as parts of the airport and East Coast Park, which is built entirely on reclaimed land.

A 2009 WWF report showed that Singapore has experienced a significant decrease in annual rainfall over the past three decades, but with more intense rainfall during the monsoon season, leading to flooding. A three-year study of the impact of climate change on Singapore by researchers from the National University of Singapore's Tropical Marine Science Institute measured three variables linked to global warming - temperature, rising sea levels and rainfall patterns. The results were outlined in Parliament earlier this month.

The study showed that the average daily temperature here could rise by between 2.7 deg C and 4.4 deg C from the present average of 26.8 deg C by 2100. It found no discernible trend in rainfall over the next century but said that sea levels could rise by between 24cm and 65cm.

The 2007 report of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected that the rise in sea level by 2099 could be in the range of 18cm to 59cm. However, the IPCC cautioned that this estimate should not be considered a maximum and did not include the full effects of changes in the rate of ice sheets melting in Antarctica and Greenland, where there is enough ice on land to raise the average global sea level by about 65m.

New research has shown that the rate of discharge from the ice sheets into the sea is accelerating. The latest assessment of scientists at the Australian government's Antarctic division is that the probable rise in sea level by the end of this century will probably be less than 2m but may be as much as 80cm.

In the case of Singapore, even a loss of well over half a metre - the maximum considered by the Tropical Marine Science Institute - would translate into loss of land.

What has Singapore done so far? To address rising sea levels, all new reclamation projects since 1991 have had to be built 66cm higher than the IPCC's projected highest sea level rise of 59cm.

Also, Singapore's development of drainage infrastructure over the last 30 years has reduced flood-prone areas from 3,200ha in the 1970s to 98ha today. The PUB aims to reduce it to less than 48ha by next year through the development and improvement of drainage infrastructure, such as the widening and deepening of drains and canals.

A two-year study commissioned by the National Environment Agency and other government agencies in 2007 looked into the use of more natural structures to prevent coastal erosion, such as incorporating mangroves and seagrasses into the design of dikes and seawalls to improve their environmental impact and make them look better.

Singapore recently launched plans for its first eco-business park. The park will create 20,000 green-collar jobs by 2030. It will feature cutting-edge technologies such as storm water recycling, solar power generation and buildings with the highest standard of environmental performance set amid a lush green landscape. It will also allow firms to test-bed their clean-tech products and solutions - especially those designed for the tropics - before they are commercialised for the market. The park will attract technology and knowledge transfers to Singapore.

All this is good. However, more needs to be done to assess the risks to Singapore from global warming. For example, what are the implications when it comes to water and energy consumption? What kind of technology and natural infrastructure can Singapore adopt to help cool temperatures and reduce heat stress? What are the health risks of rising temperatures and how can they be mitigated?

The task is to create greater understanding (and not just awareness) of the effects of climate change and what individuals can do - in particular, how they can change their consumption habits and lifestyles. It is important to galvanise Singaporeans to be more active in greening their lifestyle and appreciating nature.

Much of Singapore's reaction to climate change has been top-down and government-led. Citizens and civil society groups should take responsibility for the country's greener growth. Civil society should take the lead in creating awareness, and in conducting education campaigns and community events to get people involved.

Most of the programmes and initiatives set up by the National Environment Agency have to do with technology, energy-related activities and industries. The focus is more on increasing energy efficiency than on changing mindsets when it comes to consumption, production and human interactions with the natural environment. Nonetheless, price incentives and guidelines for reducing energy bills can be a useful way of persuading the public to cut waste.

The writer is director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Think-Tank is a weekly column rotated among eight leading figures in Singapore's tertiary and research institutions.