Chang Ai-Lien Straits Times 7 Mar 19;
SINGAPORE - With global warming heralding new threats, resource scarcity will be the new normal.
So the Government is throwing its weight behind efforts to protect and provide for the country's survival - in the areas of water, making the most of waste, food and climate change research - Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said on Thursday (March 7).
"Climate change is bringing new and wicked problems," he said in Parliament.
"It is no coincidence that we are building more desalination and Newater plants - we need to produce water almost at will, regardless of whether the rains come."
And just like the country's water success story, the same can be done in other areas, through long-term planning decades before a problem surfaces, he said, pointing out that Newater was more than two decades in the making.
"Faced with a challenge, we start small, learn from others, harness technology, invest in R&D. Keep on trying, until we get it right.
"Then we take our solutions and scale up to benefit the whole nation."
In terms of food, this means decreasing the dependence on the global food market, which accounts for over 90 per cent of Singapore's current food supply.
Announcing an ambitious target of producing 30 per cent of the country's food needs by 2030 - or 30 by 30 - Mr Masagos said that this would call for new paradigms in the sector, with a focus on state-of-the-art indoor farms.
Growing Local - Achieving "30 by 30"
They would incorporate climate control and automation, for instance, and in terms of fish - closed containment systems that keep algae blooms and oil spills at bay.
"Farmers of the future will operate computerised control systems in a pleasant environment."
It was time to break away from the "take, make, use and toss" mentality and embrace the circular economy instead, Mr Masagos added.
Promising technologies dealing with waste include Singapore Polytechnic's green chemistry technology to recover precious metals in e-waste, and Nanyang Technological University's method of turning food waste into high-grade fertilisers.
In addition, the National Environment Agency is working on turning incineration ash into construction material, called NEWSand, and has developed draft standards for using treated ash for building roads, for example.
When it comes to climate change, science will be key in guiding policies, he added, with the opportunity for Singapore to be a leader in the tropics, since there is limited knowledge on its effects there.
To this end, there will be more investment to build capability in the Centre for Climate Research Singapore, set up in 2013, and the local scientific community. This year, the centre will embark on the National Sea Level Programme to better understand sea levels around Singapore, so that robust projections and plans can be made for the long term.
Solar power will be stepped up. It could be harnessed at reservoirs, coastal areas and building facades to potentially power 40,000 four-room flats each year, an area half the size of Tampines.
At the same time, the water story is also not over.
The Research Innovation and Enterprise Council has allocated $200 million to national water agency PUB for research, and the Government has posed "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" to the scientists, he said, such as producing desalinated water with much less energy than currently needed.
Already, new technology which could potentially halve the energy required for desalination is set to be scaled up and deployed in the Tuas Desalination plant from 2020.
At the same time, people are saving more water, with domestic consumption falling from 148 litres per person per day in 2016 to 141 litres in 2018, with a target of further shaving it to 130 litres by 2030.
In all, the Government will spend almost $400 million on research and innovation in water, the circular economy, climate change and food, under the Research, Innovation, Enterprise Plan 2020 (RIE2020).
The challenges also bring with them opportunities, Mr Masagos stressed.
Pointing to Singapore's thriving water industry - with over 200 companies and more than 25 R&D centres, he said that investments in the sector in the past decade had created 14,400 good jobs and economic value-add of over $2.2 billion annually.
And plans for the water, food and environmental sectors would open up a variety of exciting opportunities for enterprises and jobs.
"We must do as our forefathers did, stay alert and nimble, and continue to plan and prepare for the long term," he said.
"We have ambitious plans for our water, waste and food sectors, but the road ahead is long and winding. We will persevere, for we are not done building a sustainable Singapore.
Farm to fork: Local producers to meet 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030
KENNETH CHENG Today Online 7 Mar 19;
SINGAPORE — By 2030, homegrown produce could meet 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs, easing its reliance on imports and reducing its vulnerability to supply disruptions.
Home-based producers now meet less than 10 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs, and Singapore imports more than 90 per cent of its food supply.
The “ambitious” target, announced by Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli on Thursday (March 7), will also give enterprises and jobs here a lift.
The Health Promotion Board said that a “healthy plate” is made up of 50 per cent fruit and vegetables, 25 per cent protein such as chicken and 25 per cent staples such as brown rice.
The authorities said that local production has been increasing.
Last year, farms here supplied 24 per cent of the eggs, 13 per cent of leafy vegetables and 9 per cent of the fish consumed in Singapore.
The Government hopes to achieve its 2030 vision in the following ways.
TAPPING TECHNOLOGY
Expand agri-food production in high-tech controlled environments, with farming becoming more akin to manufacturing, in order to ensure a consistent output. This is also a “predictable” avenue to deal with the effects of climate change and extreme weather, which can affect yields.
Bump up the productivity of land, use resources such as water and energy efficiently, and automate and integrate systems via robotics and sensors.
Through technology such as indoor multi-storey vegetable farms that use light-emitting-diode technology and recirculating aquaculture systems, production of vegetables and fish can increase by 10 to 15 times a hectare, compared with traditional farms.
The new Singapore Food Agency (SFA), to be formed next month, will help farmers build capabilities through technical support, research-and-development tie-ups and the transfer of technology.
To encourage sustainable farming, the agency will also help farmers adopt advanced systems such as curtain systems that shade crops and reduce the impact of high temperatures on crop growth.
EXPLOIT ALTERNATIVE SPACES
Explore more spaces to grow food in Singapore, including underused and alternative spaces such as vacant state buildings, rooftops and even the deep sea.
The former site of Henderson Secondary School along Henderson Road, for instance, will be turned into the country’s first integrated space — spanning 35,686sqm — comprising an urban farm, a childcare centre, nursing home and dialysis centre. It could be a test-bed for innovative food-growing technologies. A public tender for the urban farm will be awarded in May.
Deep-sea fish farming, which is highly productive, can also boost local production significantly. The SFA will work with agencies to open up more sites for this purpose. For example, Barramundi Asia — Singapore’s largest farm rearing barramundi (Asian sea bass) in large sea-cage enclosures — registers a yearly production of more than 400 tonnes. The farm occupies a 7.5ha space (10 football fields) off Semakau island.
GROOMING EXPERTS IN THE FIELD
A pipeline of Singaporean talent with a good grasp of urban food-production processes and business models is needed to expand and support Singapore’s agri-food ecosystem. They need multi-disciplinary expertise in the sciences, engineering, information and communications, robotics and energy, and waste and business management.
To meet demand, the authorities have been working with institutes of higher learning to develop courses, such as SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programmes, that lead to diplomas in urban agricultural technology and aquaculture.
CHOOSE HOMEGROWN PRODUCE
Demand from consumers is key.
Homegrown produce is fresher as it arrives at retail outlets more quickly and is safe because it can be traced to its source easily, the Government said.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, which will be dissolved when the SFA is formed, has rolled out initiatives to promote homegrown produce. It has organised SG Farmers’ Markets in the heartlands and tied up with supermarkets to hold fairs featuring such produce.
Singapore aims to produce 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030, up from less than 10%
Aqil Haziq Mahmud Channel NewsAsia 7 Mar 19;
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has set the target of producing 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli announced on Thursday (Mar 7) in a move targeted at improving food security.
“Singapore is also exposed to the volatilities of the global food market, because we import over 90 per cent of our food supply,” Mr Masagos said in his Committee of Supply speech in Parliament. These volatilities include sudden disruptions to transport routes, export bans and the impacts of climate change.
According to the Health Promotion Board, Singapore’s nutritional needs comprise 50 per cent fruits and vegetables, 25 per cent proteins and 25 per cent staples.
The target is to produce 20 per cent of these fruit and vegetables, as well as 10 per cent of these proteins – from sources like meat and fish – locally. Singapore currently produces less than 10 per cent of its nutritional needs locally.
“To get to the ‘30 by 30 vision’, will require our agri-food industry to adopt new solutions to raise productivity, apply R&D, strengthen climate resilience, and overcome our resource constraints,” Mr Masagos said.
The Environment and Water Resources Ministry (MEWR) laid out four ways the target can be achieved: Using technology to grow more with less, unlocking physical spaces for farming, developing local talent and getting consumers to support local.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO GROW MORE WITH LESS
MEWR said the use of technology in farming allows the development of resource-efficient, climate-resilient and high-yield agricultural solutions.
In addition, the ministry will expand further in high-tech, controlled environment local production, and prioritise environmental sustainability of food production.
“We need to raise land productivity, pursue water and energy efficiency, and automate and integrate systems through robotics and sensors,” MEWR said. “We have to adapt our solutions to protect against climate change that affects the yields of crops.”
MEWR said SFA will continue to support farmers through building capability, providing technical support and encouraging technology transfer.
In 2017, local farmers travelled abroad to learn about best practices and new technology from high-tech vegetable farms in China and an aquaculture technology exhibition in Norway.
Farms can also continue to tap the S$63 million Agriculture Productivity Fund to co-fund systems that better control environmental variables and boost production capabilities, MEWR added.
These include systems that shade crops and minimise the negative impact of high temperatures on crop growth.
UNLOCKING PHYSICAL SPACES FOR FARMING
Beyond technology, MEWR said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has been looking to unlock more spaces to grow food locally, including underutilised or alternative spaces like vacant state buildings, rooftops and the deep sea.
“Land in Singapore is scarce and has many competing users,” MEWR said, noting that less than 1 per cent of land is currently used for agricultural food production. “It is essential that our local farmers optimise production and intensify agriculture land use.”
For instance, MEWR said urban farming in alternative spaces provides food for nearby communities, while allowing the public to be directly involved with food production.
Besides land-based farming, the ministry said it will put “equal emphasis” on productive and sustainable fish farming, with the longer-term goal of developing Singapore into a hub for tropical aquaculture technologies.
It announced that SFA will work with agencies to open up more sites for deep sea farming, adding that this type of farming can contribute “significantly” to local production due to its high productivity.
For example, Barramundi Asia – a farm the size of 10 football fields located off Pulau Semakau – produces more than 400 tonnes of Asian sea bass annually.
DEVELOPING LOCAL TALENT
As for the farmers themselves, MEWR said there is a need to develop local talent who understand urban food production processes and business models, and are experts in multiple fields like the sciences, engineering as well as energy and waste management.
With that, it said SFA will partner with universities for undergraduate and post-graduate programmes to groom agri- and aqua-technologists and culturists, urban farming specialists and researchers to meet future needs.
“This would create a career progression pathway to attract young talent into the industry,” it added.
MEWR said SFA will also continue to engage Institutes of Higher Learning to develop relevant programmes to meet industry demand.
For instance, AVA had worked with Republic Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic to launch Earn and Learn programmes that lead to diplomas in Urban Agricultural Technology, and Aquaculture, respectively.
GETTING CONSUMERS TO SUPPORT LOCAL
Nevertheless, MEWR said consumers have a part to play by “actively supporting local produce”.
“Choosing local produce will help to support businesses of our local farmers and spur our farms to embrace technology and become more productive to meet the increased demand,” it added, noting that local produce is safe and often fresher.
The ministry said it has rolled out public education initiatives to promote local produce and encourage consumers to choose local, like partnering supermarkets to organise local produce fairs and making local produce easier to identify.
“With more outreach initiatives and media publicity in recent years, we have observed that the public is more open to local produce,” it stated.
“AMBITIOUS” TARGET
Despite the measures, Mr Masagos acknowledged that the target is an “ambitious multi-fold increase to our current production”.
“Our aspiration is to make Singapore an agri-food hub which exports sustainable solutions,” MEWR said. “The transformation of our food production industry will create new opportunities for employment and enterprises.”
Source: CNA/lc
Climate research centre to study how sea level rise could impact Singapore
Aqil Haziq Mahmud Channel NewsAsia 7 Mar 19;
SINGAPORE: The Centre for Climate Research will start a National Sea Level Programme this year to better study how a rise in sea levels could impact Singapore, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said on Thursday (Mar 7).
It will bring together researchers from the centre, local universities as well as international experts.
Their findings will help the Government develop "robust projections and plans" for the long term, Mr Masagos said in his Committee of Supply speech in Parliament.
Singapore is “particularly vulnerable” to the negative impact of climate change and rising sea levels, noted a January 2019 report by Temasek's Ecosperity.
“Between 1993 and 2009, the rate of increase of the mean sea level around Singapore was almost two times higher than the global sea level,” the report stated.
Apart from being a low-lying city, Singapore is also affected by the gravitational-attraction impact exerted by melting ice sheets.
"This refers to the effect of higher sea level rise in areas that are located further away from ice sheets due to the reduced gravitational attraction on ocean waters that are in closest proximity to the melting ice sheet," the report explained.
"As counterintuitive as it may sound, this makes the Southeast Asian region particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels as compared to countries located closer to the ice sheets."
The report covered key topics discussed during a session with Professor Benjamin Horton, a leading expert on climate change and rising sea levels. Prof Horton is also chair at the Asian School of the Environment at Nanyang Technological University.
IMPROVING FLOOD RESILIENCE, INVESTING IN RESEARCH
Climate change could also bring about more frequent intense storms, which could mean more floods, said Mr Masagos, adding that the Government is improving the country's flood resilience by upgrading waterways.
"Upgrading works at two major waterways, the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal and Sungei Pandan Kechil, will be completed this year," he said.
"We will commence drainage upgrading works at another 16 locations this year."
While climate change must be tackled at regional and global platforms, Mr Masagos stressed that Singapore must do its part to transform its economy towards a low carbon future.
He cited the carbon tax which takes effect this year, and efforts to manage vehicular emissions.
He also noted that national water agency PUB is studying the deployment of floating solar photovoltaic systems at four reservoirs.
Singapore will also continue to invest in its climate science capabilities, said the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
“Agencies are developing a national framework for coastal protection and studying long-term plans to protect vulnerable coastal areas from sea level rise,” the ministry said. “We will continue to invest in research and build up our climate science capabilities.”
The Centre for Climate Research (CCRS) was established in 2013 under the Meteorological Services Singapore to develop research expertise in the weather and climate of Singapore and the Southeast Asian region.
"We are stepping up investment to build capability in CCRS and the local scientific community," Mr Masagos said.
According to the Ecosperity report, Singapore has in the last few years implemented multiple policies on rising sea levels – mainly focused on climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. It said there was “immense opportunity” for Singapore to develop local expertise to tackle the issue.
The report suggested deepening the local knowledge base, encouraging private sector investment in research and developing Singapore as an Asian climate change hub to encourage innovation and international collaboration.
Source: CNA/hz
