Using nature, multi-use structures among solutions being studied to protect coastlines

With a coastline that stretches over 300km, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for coastal protection in Singapore.

- Chin Hui Shan and Shabana Begum

Currently, about 70 to 80 percent of the country's coastline is covered by seawalls and stone embankments. But these just serve to prevent waves from eroding the shores.

Research is under way to develop the most effective solutions against rising sea levels for the different parts of Singapore.

National water agency PUB said Singapore's coastal protection challenges require innovative solutions that go beyond conventional approaches.

"As a small island nation with limited land, we need to develop solutions that are not only cost-effective but also multifunctional to maximise land use," said PUB.

In 2023, the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore was set up to bring together expertise from various universities, research institutes and industry players to advance knowledge and create innovative solutions for coastal protection and flood management.

There are now 17 research projects under the institute, which are funded by PUB's $125 million Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research Programme.

The Straits Times looks at the different solutions Singapore is considering to protect its coastlines.

USING NATURE AS AN ALLY

Engineered solutions such as seawalls can offer predictability and control, but natural ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs can also contribute to protection from sea-level rise.

Mangroves, for example, can serve as a living defence, as their roots trap sediment from the tides, allowing them to keep pace with rising seas.

They also act as a carbon sink, as their water-logged soils allow these habitats to soak up more planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than land-based forests.

At CFI Singapore, some projects are dedicated to the research of solutions that combine nature and hard structures - so-called hybrid solutions.