Sea level rise...!? A new headache for Singapore..!?

Sowmiya Sriram
Sea level rise...!? A new headache for Singapore..!?

It is no exaggeration to say that sea level rise in singapore is a pressing concern for a populous island nation. A small, low-lying city-state, singapore has about 30% of its land area only 5 meters above sea level. This leaves Singapore's people, ecosystems, infrastructure, and economy highly vulnerable to the effects of these rising waters, say experts. Because of its unique impacts, Singapore's National Climate Change secretariat (NCCS) has identified sea level rise as the country's most immediate climate change threat. Here, we examine the potential impacts of sea-level rise on singapore, its causes, and the measures the country is taking to protect singapore from such sea-level rise and adapt to the growing threat of their impacts, say experts.
In recent decades, the ocean has absorbed 90 percent of the warming caused by human greenhouse gas emissions, causing a rise in ocean temperatures. As water warms, it expands and sea levels rise. This has been a major driver of sea level rise in singapore to date, said Dr Timothy Shaw of the Geo Observatory at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.Low-lying singapore is at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels. Heavy rainfall events have become more frequent since 2010, and sea level rise is compounding their impacts. singapore experienced 14 flash floods in 2017 alone, compared to 10 in 2016 and six in 2015. This trend has left low-lying areas – including densely populated areas and critical infrastructure – at risk of flooding.
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