LIVING WITH WATER: LESSONS FROM SINGAPORE AND ROTTERDAM

Global challenges, common solutions According to reports, the global sea level is projected to rise by 0.7 m to 1.2 m in the next two centuries, even if efforts are made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero in the second half of the century.1 For coastal cities, the implications of sea level rise on coastal zones, particularly those which are densely populated, could be drastic. Sea level rise threatens cities from Shanghai to London and entire countries such as the low-lying Maldives and Kiribati. Furthermore, as climate change could lead to more intense and frequent extreme rainfall events, cities are increasingly vulnerable to flooding. As coastal cities, both Rotterdam and Singapore will need to adopt measures to concurrently address both sea level rise and inland flooding. To achieve this, cities need to take an urban systems approach. Both Singapore and Rotterdam share strong relationships with waterโit has been an integral part of planning and building both cities. The Dutch have built Rotterdam in anticipation of too much water, as 26% of the country lies below sea level and 60% is vulnerable to flooding.2 Singapore, on the other hand, has been built in consideration of having too little water. Since its independence, the country has faced challenges in providing an adequate and reliable water supply for its rapidly expanding population due to polluted waterways and insufficient volumes in water catchments. With the advent of climate change, however, Singapore has also been preparing for a future with more frequent and extreme storm events.
A pivotal episode in Dutch history in regards to coastal flooding was in 1953, when a combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm over the North Sea resulted in water levels reaching 5.6 m above normal sea level in some areas. A total of 187 km of the Dutch coastal defence was damaged and 1,835 deaths were recorded. In the aftermath of the disaster, the Delta Committee was formed to oversee the Delta Works programme, which strengthened the countryโs coastal defence through an extensive system of dams and storm surge barriers.3 While the Dutch initially focused on the rapid removal of water, in recent years there has been a shift towards redesigning cities to create more space for water.4 2001, bringing with it windy and wet conditions.5 Furthermore, much of the country is generally flat, with 30% of land less than 5 m above the mean sea level.6 In communicating the risks of climate change and sea level rise on Singapore, Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, highlighted the countryโs vulnerability: 3 number of days with hourly maximum rainfall intensity exceeding 40 mm has grown by 1.9 days each decade. Projections until 2100, undertaken for the Second National Climate Change Study by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore, indicated more intense and frequent extreme rainfall events as a result of climate change. Like the Netherlands, which had hard structures such as storm surge barriers to keep the sea out, Singapore has similarly built stormwater canals over the past 50 years to flush away storm runoff to mitigate flooding. Recently, there has been a a paradigm shift in thinking of how to bring water back into the city and to work with, instead of working against, water. This requires an evolution in the mindset of citizens about living with water. As opined by Tan Nguan Sen, Senior Consultant, Urban Liveability, PUB: Children are brought up with the mindset that they should avoid getting wet in water. So itโs really an uphill task to educate the younger generation to actually embrace water.10 In February 2018, high tides caused temporary flooding even without rain. With rising sea levels, we could experience more of such phenomena.7 While Singapore has not experienced a similar episode, Typhoon Vamei came within 50 km of Singapore in To this end, Singapore has taken preemptive action to protect its coastal areas such as by raising reclamation levels and installing geobags to address coastal erosion.8, 9 Singapore also faces risks from extreme rainfall events. Since 1980, the number of heavy rain events has been increasing yearly. The annual number of days with hourly maximum rainfall intensity exceeding 40 mm has grown by 1.9 days each decade. Projections until 2100, undertaken for the Second National Climate Change Study by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore, indicated more intense and frequent extreme rainfall events as a result of climate change. Like the Netherlands, which had hard structures such as storm surge barriers to keep the sea out, Singapore has similarly built stormwater canals over the past 50 years to flush away storm runoff to mitigate flooding. Recently, there has been a a paradigm shift in thinking of how to bring water back into the city and to work with, instead of working against, water. This requires an evolution in the mindset of citizens about living with water. As opined by Tan Nguan Sen, Senior Consultant, Urban Liveability.
source :
https://www.clc.gov.sg/docs/default-source/books/living-with-water.pdf
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