Singapore has announced plans to reclaim land twice the size of Marina Bay off the coast of East Coast Park for an upcoming reclamation project dubbed ‘Long Island’.
National Development Minister Desmond Lee revealed other details about the project on Tuesday (28 Nov). It will include a new freshwater reservoir, two tidal gates as well as amenities for the public.
While the plan sounds exciting, Mr Lee said such a project would take decades to implement with technical studies on its feasibility spanning about five years.
Speaking at a habitat enhancement event at East Coast Park, Mr Lee shared further details about the project, reported TODAY.
Source: Desmond Lee on Facebook
He shared that the project includes reclaiming three new tracts of land away from the current coastline and at a higher level.
This land will be twice the size of Marina Bay, measuring about 800ha and projecting “coastal protection seawards”. As such, it will allow East Coast Park to remain as it is.
‘Long Island’ will also have a new freshwater reservoir, offering the public opportunities for water activities like canoeing and dragon-boating.
Source: Desmond Lee on Facebook
In addition, it will contain two tidal gates and pumping stations. These features will “keep the sea out” and pump out rainwater when heavy rain occurs alongside the high tide.
Mr Lee described these measures as necessary, due to the existential threat rising sea levels pose to Singapore.
Other than leisurely activities, there will be opportunities for Singapore’s future generations to build their lives there, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) noted.
“They could build homes, create jobs, develop services and amenities that they need, and add around 20km of new coastal and reservoir parks,” he said. “This will triple the length of the existing waterfront area along East Coast Park today.”
Expanding on the necessity of the project, Mr Lee said that projections have shown average sea levels surrounding Singapore rising by up to 1m by the century’s end.
High tides coinciding with storm surges could additionally cause sea levels to rise by up to 4m to 5m above the mean sea level.
“This is a very serious problem, because around one-third of our island is under 5m above mean sea level, and at risk of being inundated by the sea,” he said.
The East Coast area also faces high risks of flooding as a low-lying area. Parts of the park apparently experienced flooding for about two hours in January this year.
Therefore, Mr Lee said that coastal protection measures are vital for the protection of homes and livelihoods in the region.
However, the public had expressed their desire for the preservation of heritage and recreation spaces along the coast, as well as continued access to the waterfront.
Addressing this, Mr Lee noted that they had considered the feedback while developing the latest concept for ‘Long Island’.
The project is projected to take decades to implement. Hence, Mr Lee said planning must start now to allow construction to be complete in time to protect the area from rising sea levels.
The planning will include carrying out extensive extensive environmental and engineering studies to gauge the “conceptual reclamation” profile’s feasibility.
Source: Joshua Leong on Unsplash
It will span about five years with a public consultation taking place at the same time. Those who’d like to share their feedback or ideas may do sia via the link here.
The authorities, Mr Lee mentioned, will explore the formulation of “innovative and cost-effective nature-based solutions” for the reclamation.
After the completion of the technical studies, they will engage the public on the project’s “design and master planning”.
Mr Lee ultimately noted that Long Island will offer extensive opportunities for Singaporeans to come together and tackle climate change and rising sea levels.
“As we protect our homes, our infrastructure, our livelihoods, and our cherished East Coast Park, we will collectively create new opportunities for quality living and recreation, for the benefit of Singaporeans today and for our future generations,” he said.
Also read: Proposed East Coast ‘Long Island’ May Have Reservoir & Housing, Can Also Protect Coastline: URA
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Featured image adapted from Desmond Lee on Facebook.
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