SINGAPORE: On Singapore's coastal areas, houses are built higher and higher up in order to avoid the highest tide level and protect against coastal erosion. Since 1991, all reclaimed land in the island country has had to be built at least 1.25 meters above the highest tide level and in 2011, this was raised another meter up in an effort to protect against coastal erosion. According to a new American study, sea levels across the planet are expected to continue to rise over the next 100 years, and could be rising two to three times as much as previous studies reported. Still, experts said that Singapore has already implemented a number of initiatives, including building higher than tide levels, to combat the possibility of coastal flooding. Flash floods in Singapore's central shopping district in recent years were caused by heavy rain and not rising sea levels, the report said, allaying fears that Singapore was already under threat. Experts did warn that coastal flooding would be similar to the floods that have hit the city-state. Wetland Scientist at the National University of Singapore Daniel Friess said in comments to Channel News Asia that “a coastal flood is basically an unexpected high tide. You've got elevated tides, elevated waves. They're all going to contribute to a surge of water in low lying areas by the coast. The impact of a coastal flood is in many respects similar to an inland flood where you have a large body of water flooding shops and businesses and residences, you also often experience a lot of erosion on the coast.” With new data on the melting of polar ice caps, a new US National Research Council study predicts global sea levels could rise between 50 and 140 centimeters by the turn of the century. That's higher than the 2007 UN estimate of between 18 and 59 centimeters. Singapore's National Environment Agency study in 2007 predicted that the sea levels around Singapore would rise slightly more – between 24 and 65 centimeters by 2100. Local experts said there's no need to panic. Principal Project Manager, Coastal Management, Building & Construction Authority, Ho Chai Teck, said: “About 70 percent of the coast line is already protected by hard structures like sea walls or stone embankments, which help protect against coastal erosion. For these structures we're cautiously optimistic that they will continue to function well and protect us against any phenomena in the near term.” For now, Singapore appears to be safe, but with climate change and carbon emissions continuing to remain at staggeringly high levels, island countries like Singapore do face threat.
