‘Time is running out’: Tackling climate change a priority for Singapore, says Masagos

Matthew Mohan Channel NewsAsia 17 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE: Facing the “loud and unmistakable” warning of climate change, Singapore needs to act, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli on Wednesday (Jul 17).

Speaking at the 2019 Partners for the Environment forum, Mr Masagos stressed that tackling climate change is a “pressing priority” and an “existential challenge” for Singapore.

“Time is running out,” he said. “Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued one of the starkest warnings from the scientific community – an increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius in global warming could occur as early as 2030.

“The warning is loud and unmistakable: We must act now or we may well face the ultimate threat to human survival ... the end of ‘life as usual’.”

Citing floods and mudslides in Japan as well as the heatwave in Europe, Mr Masagos said extreme weather events are “not one-off events, but symptoms of a much greater problem”.

“When I was growing up in the 60s, the hottest month in Singapore was about 27 degrees Celsius on average,” he added. “That is now the average temperature of the coolest months in this decade, and our hottest days exceed 34 degrees.

“What climate science is piecing together, foretells the calamity that will befall the world if we all do too little too late.”

NEW CLIMATE SCIENCE UNIT, SEA LEVEL RESEARCH PROGRAMME

The Government will set up a new climate science unit next year to spearhead Singapore’s climate science master plan as well as strengthen the country’s capabilities in climate science research., Mr Masagos said.

The unit will focus on research into rising sea levels and other key areas of climate science with "significant impact on Singapore". These include the impact of climate change on Singapore’s water resources and flood management; the impact of warming trends on health and the energy sector; biodiversity and food security.

It will also collaborate with institutes of higher learning and research institutes.

The unit will be set up under the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS), which was established in 2013 under the Meteorological Service Singapore to develop research expertise in the weather and climate of Singapore and Southeast Asia.

CCRS will also launch a S$10 million National Sea Level Research Programme over the next five years, in order to better understand sea levels around Singapore and develop more robust sea level projections.

It will issue grant calls to local research institutes to seek project proposals next month.

“Climate change sets us a monumental, inter-generational task - how to ensure that our little red dot does not disappear below the waves,” said Mr Masagos. “Climate science tells us it is not a matter of ‘if’ the sea level will rise but a matter of ‘when’ and ‘how much’.”

Source: CNA/jt

Preparing against ‘the perfect storm’: Singapore to spend S$400 million upgrading and maintaining drains
Matthew Mohan Channel NewsAsia 17 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE: As part of efforts to boost flood resilience, Singapore will spend an additional S$400 million to upgrade and maintain drains over the next two years, announced Environment Minister Masagos Zulkifli on Wednesday (Jul 17).

Speaking at the Ministry for the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR)’s 2019 Partners for the Environment forum, Mr Masagos said Singapore remains vulnerable to the effects of climate change, despite previous efforts to protect the environment and improve resilience.

“We can thank our pioneer leaders for putting us in a better position, but the urgency of environmental challenges cannot be understated ... we must remain clear-eyed about Singapore’s vulnerability as a small, low-lying island with no natural resources and no hinterland to retreat to if sea levels rise,” he explained.

As such, there is a need to plan, invest and implement solutions for the long haul, said Mr Masagos.

Singapore has already spent around S$1.8 billion on drainage improvement works, and this includes the Stamford Diversion Canal and the Stamford Detention Tank, which were completed last year.

“Singapore has always prided ourselves on our foresight and long-term planning. By planning early, we can phase in the necessary measures in a timely manner whilst spreading out the costs over many years,” said Mr Masagos.

Giving the example of a 1953 storm surge in the North Sea which overwhelmed dykes in the Netherlands and resulted in 1,800 deaths, Mr Masagos called it an “unfortunate” incident, as scientific studies years before had warned that its existing dykes were inadequate.

He said: “We must be prepared to make the necessary investments to protect Singapore against sea level rise and, for critical infrastructure, against the ‘perfect storm’.”

EVERY EFFORT COUNTS

Mr Masagos also pointed out that there needs to be collective action, and that "we need to partner businesses, individuals and organisations to come up with creative and effective solutions".

“The Government has initiated the momentum for action. But we cannot do this alone,” he said. “As Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said last month, we believe in expanding our democracy of deeds, where Singaporeans contribute not just their ideas, but also their efforts to build our future.”

This includes people making climate-friendly choices such as reducing single-use plastics and purchasing appliances which have less environmental impact, said Mr Masagos.

READ: Singapore, KL among major cities to face 'unprecedented' climate shifts by 2050
In addition, MEWR will convene a Citizens’ Workgroup by September to get 50 Singaporeans to work with them to come up with solutions to improve the way recycling is done, said Mr Masagos.

The workgroup will include Singaporeans from different backgrounds and will be given access to policy-relevant information, such as household recycling surveys.

“We need everyone to play their part and as one nation, overcome the existential challenge that climate change poses, which can threaten our way of life,” said Mr Masagos.

“If we put our heads, hearts and minds together, we will come out of this for the better and will leave behind a more resilient and prosperous Singapore for our children, grandchildren and many generations to come.”

Source: CNA/jt(mi)

New research office to boost Singapore’s climate science capabilities
NAVENE ELANGOVAN Today Online 17 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE — The Government will set up a new office to strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in climate science, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said on Wednesday (July 17).

The new Climate Science Research Programme Office, set up under the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS), will lead and drive efforts to formulate Singapore’s national climate science research masterplan, as well as to build up local capabilities in climate science.

“The Programme Office will work closely with scientists and researchers in our research institutes and universities to harness their expertise for cutting-edge climate science research,” said Mr Masagos, who was speaking at a forum to promote environmental collaboration among partners from the community, public and private sector.

The research will focus on key issues that will have a significant impact on Singapore, including the rise of sea levels, the impact of climate change on the Republic’s water resources and the impact of rising temperatures on human health and the energy sector.

Mr Masagos noted that the Government had established the CCRS in 2013, under the Meteorological Service Singapore in the National Environment Agency, to meet the challenge of climate change with actions based on “robust science”.

“Climate science, where it is developed specifically for the tropics, is a new and complex area of research. There is limited amount of expertise and experts in this area,” said Mr Masagos, who added that more work needs to be done.

In his speech Mr Masagos stressed that climate change is a “pressing priority and an existential challenge”.

“At stake is nothing less than the physical preservation of our island nation and its inhabitants,” he said.

S$10 MILLION FUNDING FOR NATIONAL SEA LEVEL RESEARCH PROGRAMME

Mr Masagos also announced that the CCRS will set aside S$10 million in funding over the next five years for the National Sea Level Research Programme.

The programme, which was announced earlier this year, will help Singapore strengthen its understanding of sea levels around the country and help it develop more robust projections of how sea levels will rise in the future.

The CCRS will also issue a request to local research institutes for their project proposals next month.

Mr Masagos said that Singapore’s mean sea levels were projected to rise by up to around one metre by 2100, although this could occur earlier if ice sheets melt more rapidly or if ice shelves in Antarctica were to collapse.

Such a scenario was one of the most worrying “black swan” scenarios for low-lying countries such as Singapore, said Mr Masagos.

“CCRS has considered what might happen if we see high mean sea levels, high tide, and high surge all at the same time – even though this would be a rare scenario.”

“Sea levels could reach almost four metres above current mean sea levels, and overwhelm our low-lying coastal areas,” he said.

Mr Masagos said that climate science has given policy makers guidance on the need to protect critical infrastructure against rising sea levels and extreme events. This was why Singapore was already building new projects such as the Tuas Port Terminal and Changi Airport Terminal 5 at higher platform levels.

With the CCRS’ climate science tailored for the tropics, Mr Masagos added that Singapore would share what it knows to help its neighbours plan for their adaptation to climate change as well.

S’PORE TO HOST GLOBAL SCIENTIST MEETING

Mr Masagos added that as part of efforts to collaborate with scientists around the world, Singapore will also be hosting a Scoping Meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Singapore in October this year, together with a meeting of the IPCC Bureau, one of the highest decision-making bodies in the IPCC.

The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

“This is the first time that Singapore will be hosting IPCC meetings. It signals our strong support for, and commitment to climate science and climate action,” said Mr Masagos.

The string of announcements by Mr Masagos were made at the Partners for the Environment forum held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre today.

Into its third year, the annual event is organised by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR). It is also co-organised by the British High Commission in Singapore for the first time. The collaboration is in support of the Singapore-United Kingdom Partnership for the Future launched earlier this year which will see both countries broaden and deepen their ties.

Singapore will spend $400m upgrading drains, $10m to study sea level rise to counter climate change
Timothy Goh Straits Times 17 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE - Singapore is fortifying its defences against climate change, with $400 million being pumped into upgrading and maintaining its drains over the next two years, and $10 million more channelled into studying sea level rise.

These are just two of a multitude of measures that are meant to guard against a "perfect storm" of events that could see Singapore engulfed by sea water if not enough is done.

But the Government cannot do this alone, and everyone has a part to play to prevent "the end of life as usual", said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli on Wednesday (July 17).

Calling on the public to embrace green changes, he gave the example of how, if every household in Singapore swapped one fluorescent lightbulb for an LED bulb, the potential energy savings in a year of 5.8 million kwh would be enough to power 1,000 4-room housing units.

"Every effort counts. Though climate change cannot be solved by any single person, do not discount the cumulative impact of small actions," he said.

He was speaking at the Partners for the Environment Forum, an annual platform for various partners of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) to explore ideas and collaborate on environmental issues.

In his speech, Mr Masagos highlighted the real, "ultimate threat to human survival" that climate change presents.

He pointed to a number of extreme weather events in recent years:

- France experienced its highest-ever temperature of 45.9 deg C

- Droughts caused a 20 per cent fall in grain production in Australia, and

- Evacuations in Japan due to floods and mudslides caused by torrential rain.

These are no longer once-off events, but symptoms of a much greater problem.

Closer to home, he noted, water levels at Linggiu Reservoir in Malaysia fell to a historic low of 20 per cent during a prolonged dry period in 2016.

And, in Singapore, the hottest days swelter at temperatures exceeding 34 deg C, as compared to an average of 27 deg C in the 1960s.

Furthermore, the Meteorological Service Singapore's (MSS) Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) found that, in the rare scenario that high mean sea levels, high tide and high surge all occur at the same time, sea levels could rise almost 4m above the current mean and overwhelm the island's low-lying coastal areas.

"If we push our imaginations further, in the extremely rare occurrence that a tropical storm happens at sea - sending us surge waters that we can't keep out - and a heavy rainstorm happens inland - bringing down rainwater we can't drain away - both at the same time, we could have the ingredients of a 'perfect storm'", he said.

"While this is an extremely rare scenario based on today's science, it could possibly not be inconceivable in the future."

The minister said that Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew had noted in 2007 that "the ultimate threat to human survival is global warming and climate change" and that if sea levels rose to inundate many millions of people, there will be no life as usual.

Said Mr Masagos: "In fact, at every occasion when I had the opportunity to sit in on calls between Mr Lee and world leaders, it was clear that he was fully convinced about the threat of climate change, and even more concerned about its potential impact than that of terrorism."

Added the minister: "The warning is loud and unmistakeable: We must act now, or we may well face the ultimate threat to human survival... the end of life as usual."

BUILDING ON CURRENT MEASURES

Given the Republic's relatively small contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the alarming projections on climate change and sea level rise, some might question whether Singapore can make a difference.

However, Mr Masagos said, Singapore has already done a number of things over the years which prepared it for the effects of climate change.

These include its intensive tree-planting programme, which has moderated rising temperatures, the development of four national taps to protect its water supply from sudden shocks, and the decision to build new projects such as Changi Airport Terminal 5 at higher platform levels.

Singapore has also "taken the initiative to lead" in the area of climate science for the tropics through the work of the Centre for Climate Research Singapore, said Mr Masagos.

The centre was established in 2013 and has since grown to be one of the region's most advanced tropical climate research centres.

Its research allows the Republic to make an impactful contribution to the global understanding of climate change, and share what it knows with its neighbours to help them plan to adapt to the climate crisis.

And more is to be done. A $10 million National Sea Level research programme will be launched over the next five years, which will help Singapore develop more robust sea level rise projections in the future.

The ministry will set up a new programme office in the centre to drive efforts in formulating a national climate science research masterplan and building up local capabilities.

And in October, for the first time, a Scoping Meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will be held in Singapore together with a meeting of the IPCC bureau.

This signals the Republic's strong support for and commitment to climate science and action, said Mr Masagos.

Aside from research, Singapore has also been building up its climate resilience. Having previously spent around $1.8 billion on drainage improvement works to boost its flood resilience since 2011, Singapore will spend another $400 million over the next two years to upgrade and maintain its drains.

GOVERNMENT CANNOT COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE ALONE

However, the Government cannot fight climate change alone, Mr Masagos said.

He noted that Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat had, last month, spoken about expanding a democracy of deeds, where Singaporeans contribute not just their ideas but their efforts to build the Republic's future.

"We need to partner businesses, individuals and organisations to come up with creative and effective solutions," he added.

"We need everyone to play their part and as one nation, overcome the existential challenge that climate change poses, which can threaten our way of life."

He called on those living here to make climate-friendly choices in their daily lives, including buying climate-friendly appliances for their homes, reducing single-use plastics and using clothes for as long as possible.

The ministry will also be convening a citizens' workgroup in September, working with 50 Singaporeans to improve the way recycling is carried out here.

Mr Masagos said: "Climate change sets us a monumental, inter-generational task - how to ensure that our Little Red Dot does not disappear below the waves."