As announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his Budget 2025 speech, the coastal and flood protection fund will be topped up by $5bn. PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, is undertaking these initiatives to strengthen the nation’s coastal defences against rising sea levels.
Firstly, two more site-specific studies (SSS) will commence by 2026 — for Sentosa island and the southwest coast. Next, the coastal protection legislation will be tabled in the H2 2025, along with the code of practice (COP) for coastal protection and a new flood-resilient developments (FRD) guidebook to be launched in 2026.
Finally, progress update details for the Greater Southern Waterfront and Changi — part of the city-east coast SSS — coastal protection plans will be unveiled in H2 2025. PUB will consider a range of solutions for different coastal segments and develop them with reference to the latest climate science.
The third national climate change study — released in January 2024 — projected that mean sea levels around Singapore could rise by up to 1.15m by 2100 and up to around 2m by 2150.
With around 30% of our land less than 5m above mean sea level, Singapore is vulnerable to the impact of sea level rise. Some locations such as east coast park already experience sporadic episodes of coastal flooding when high tide coincides with heavy rainfall.
Two new SSS to commence by 2026
Singapore’s coastlines have been divided into different segments for SSS. Since 2021, relevant government agencies have commenced SSS at city-east coast, Jurong Island and the northwest coast to develop locally tailored coastal adaptation options and plans. Two upcoming SSS at Sentosa and southwest coast will commence by 2026.
Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) will lead the SSS for Sentosa and dovetail coastal protection measures with its upcoming development plans. The study — covering about 16km of the coastline — will take into account Sentosa’s function as a leisure and tourism destination.
PUB will commence the SSS for the southwest coast, taking findings from the ongoing coastal barrier feasibility study (CBFS) — which reviews the potential deployment of coastal barriers at the south-western coastlines to protect the area from storm surges — and Jurong Island SSS.
The southwest coast study area stretches from Tuas to Pasir Panjang, covering approximately 116km of coastline. Key land uses for the area include a blend of waterfront industrial estates, port facilities such as the Tuas Port and Pasir Panjang terminals, and recreational areas like west coast park.
Legislation and design standards to be introduced
The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and PUB will be proposing new legislation in H2 2025. The intent is to delineate stakeholder responsibilities, safeguard land for coastal protection measures, and ensure compliance with coastal protection standards. PUB will engage with relevant public agencies and private coastal landowners in formulating the new legislation.
PUB also plans to launch a COP for coastal protection by the first half of 2026. Similar to PUB’s existing COP for surface water drainage, the coastal protection COP will provide a set of standards for the industry on the design, construction and operation of various coastal protection structures in Singapore.
PUB is also working on a new FRD guidebook to complement the COP for coastal protection. This guidebook will contain guidelines and case studies that can help landowners decide how to enhance the flood resilience of their land and premises. PUB will seek inputs from industry experts and relevant stakeholders to formulate the contents of the COP and FRD guidebook this year.
