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SINGAPORE – The threat of climate change for Singapore and the world has become increasingly serious and Singapore needs to take steps to strengthen its defenses.
It means more than clean water and lush vegetation, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday.
Noting that Singapore was already feeling the effects of global warming, with Singapore recording its hottest year and the second driest year in recent years, he noted that rising sea levels were of particular concern.
"Many countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, are also vulnerable to sea level rise because of the length of our coasts and lowlands," said Prime Minister Lee, who was speaking at the launch ceremony of Clean and Green Singapore in Wisma Geylang Serai.
Government agencies, said Prime Minister Lee, are studying this issue carefully.
"We will eventually propose long-term proposals to properly prepare and protect ourselves," he said.
He highlighted the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released last month by the United Nations, which warned that global temperatures could rise 1.5 degrees Celsius above in the next 12 years, if global warming continues at its current rate. This would have an impact on the sea level.
For example, higher temperatures in our region could spread tropical diseases such as dengue fever, affect crops and harm the Singapore economy.
The government has already taken steps to protect Singapore from the adverse effects of climate change and sea-level rise.
Low roads near coastal areas have been raised and the Stamford Holding Reservoir and Stamford Floodway have been constructed to prevent flooding in areas such as Orchard Road.
The future terminal 5 of Changi Airport will also be built on a platform higher than existing terminals to allow for sea level rise, he said.
Singarpore also launched the 2016 Climate Action Plan, which outlines some of the measures taken to mitigate climate change, including a carbon tax that will come into force next year.
In addition to infrastructure and politics, Prime Minister Lee said, attitudes and lifestyles must also be changed.
Opting for public transit or energy efficient appliances may not seem significant on an individual scale, but would have a cumulative effect if everyone adopted it.
"But just like our" Save Water "campaign where every drop counts, every climate action counts," he said.
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