800ha plot reclaimed off Tekong in Singapore's first polder project

Land is slated for military training, freeing up mainland space for other uses

- Ang Qing

A plot of land the size of about two Toa Payoh towns has been reclaimed off Pulau Tekong, the Government announced on Sept 8.

This marks the first time that Singapore has reclaimed land below the average sea level.

The plot, measuring around 800ha, was reclaimed at the northwestern tip of Pulau Tekong, Singapore's largest offshore island where many national service recruits are initiated into army life.

The reclaimed land is slated for military training purposes.

This frees up space on the mainland for other uses such as developing new homes and amenities for Singaporeans, said HDB and national water agency PUB in a joint statement.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visited the site on Sept 8 to view the polder.

It marked a full circle for PM Wong, who had first unveiled the project in 2016 when he was Minister for National Development.

The reclamation was conducted using a method called empoldering, and main construction works for the land and its infrastructure were completed in end-2024.

The works involved building a coastal dyke - standing 6m at its highest point - around the area to be reclaimed and draining water from it, creating a low-lying tract of land below sea level called a polder.

The Tekong polder lies about 1.2m below mean sea level.

Climate projections show that sea levels around Singapore could rise by up to 5m by 2100.

The authorities said the height of the coastal dyke can be raised if needed, to adapt to future increases in sea levels.

With more intense rainfall wrought by climate change, water levels in the polder are managed by a 45km-long drainage network that prevents flooding and water from stagnating.