Climate change will hit home in Singapore: Laureate

Jane Ng, Straits Times 12 Apr 08;

CLIMATE change poses a serious problem for Singapore, and people should really start paying attention to it.

Singapore is low-lying, so if sea levels rise as a result of climate change, large parts of the island will be under water.

This warning should not be taken lightly: It comes from the first Singaporean who can say in his resume he is a Nobel Prize winner.

National University of Singapore (NUS) geography professor Wong Poh Poh, 63, is on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which shared last year's Nobel Peace Prize with former United States vice-president Al Gore.

The IPCC is a scientific body tasked to evaluate the risk of climate change caused by human activity, and has a core group of 800 scientists from around the world.

For his work on the panel, Prof Wong was among several academics honoured at the NUS annual University Awards Ceremony yesterday.

He won the Special Commendation Award for his one decade of contributions to the IPCC.

The top award at last night's event, the Outstanding Service Award for contributions to the university and society, went to Professor Lim Siong Guan, chairman of the Economic Development Board and group managing director of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.

Prof Lim's career has included stints as permanent secretary in several ministries.

Thirteen awards were given out at the ceremony at the University Cultural Centre.

Prof Wong, who joined the then-University of Singapore in 1966, said he was 'happy and grateful' for the recognition from NUS.

'It is good that an institution recognises the work and contribution of its staff. I hope this will inspire others to do the same,' he said.

In environmental research, he is most passionate about coasts and anything that affects them - from climate change to tsunamis and tourism.

He has researched coastal issues since the 1960s, long before environmental issues became as prominent as they are today.

Coastal erosion, coastal management and coastal tourism issues - he has delved into them all.

Describing the Nobel prize as a 'personal highlight' of his life's work, he added: 'My guiding philosophy is, 'Do not harm nature, do not waste nature.''

NUS professor gets award for green efforts
He is lauded for his contributions as lead author on panel for climate change
Lee U-Wen, Business Times 12 Apr 08;

THE accolades keep on coming for National University of Singapore (NUS) associate professor Wong Poh Poh, who rose to fame last October when he became the first Singaporean to share a Nobel Peace Prize.

Last night, at the NUS annual University Awards ceremony, the 62-year-old was lauded for his contribution as a lead author on the UN inter-governmental panel on climate change, which produced reports to raise awareness of man-made climate change.

Prof Wong, from the NUS Department of Geography, was one of 13 educators who received awards at the University Cultural Centre, where he was presented with a Special Commendation prize.

On why he feels so passionately about climate change, he told BT: 'Many years ago, I worked on the impact of an extreme tide event, and then it turned out later that this could be an analogue for the impact of a sea-level rise. That spurred me further into climate change issues.'

He added: 'I'm happy and grateful that the work I've been doing quietly for more than 10 years is being recognised. The department and university have provided a conducive environment for the work to be carried out.'

Meanwhile, Lim Siong Guan, adjunct professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, was feted with one of the night's most prestigious honours - the Outstanding Service Award.

Mr Lim, 62, who is also Economic Development Board chairman, spearheaded the school back in 2003 as head of the steering committee.

The former permanent secretary and head of the Civil Service who retired two years ago was hailed for 'imparting his vast knowledge and expertise in areas of leadership and change management in the public sector'.

He said: 'The best contribution I can make is as a practitioner describing what has been accomplished in Singapore, sharing my experiences of what works and what does not, and explaining policies and events within a conceptual framework.

'In this way, lessons may be learnt and ideas developed for practical application elsewhere in the world.'

Other categories of awards handed out were those of Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Researcher and Young Researcher of the year.

Two professors - Goh Suat Hong from the Faculty of Science, and Sit (Wong) Kim Ping from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine - were conferred the title of emeritus professor, the institution's highest academic appointment.