Environmental studies in Singapore due to begin on proposed mega-project of the new artificial “Long Island” next year to combat rising sea levels, though critics fear loss of key sports and recreational activities.
The Singaporean government has announced that it is considering building new artificial islands off its east coast in order to protect low-lying areas from rising sea levels.
Engineering and environmental impact studies for this so-called “Long Island” project are expected to start next year and will take five years to finish. Once studies are completed, the public will be consulted on the design and masterplan for the expected 800 hectares of reclaimed land, which is the size of 1,142 football fields. If completed, the island would be twice the land area of the current Marina Bay, the city’s historic mouth and heart, and would transform the current East Coast Park into a freshwater reservoir.
This week’s announcement was made by Desmond Lee, the city-state’s National Development Minister, while he was planting a tree at the site of a new 15-kilometer hiking trail which will run across the entire length of the park. “They could build homes, create jobs, develop services and amenities that they need, and add around 20 kilometers of new coastal and reservoir parks, extending from the current East Coast Park,” Lee said while discussing the proposed plan. “This will triple the length of the existing waterfront area along East Coast Park today.”
Concerns about Singapore’s growing sea levels due to climate change were first raised by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2019 when he warned that coastal defenses could cost 100 billion Singaporean dollars (75 billion US dollars) or more over the next 100 years.
Currently, one-third of Singapore lies less than five meters above sea level. Earlier this year, large areas of the city-state’s largest park were flooded due to rain and high tides. Such events, combined with recent studies which project a one meter rise in sea levels by 2100, mean that existing shorelines could be severely impacted.
However, critics of the plan fear that any future reclamation will affect some sports that thrive in the area. This is due to just released images of the planned reservoir, which seem to show that it will be too narrow to support wind-based activities, such as windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing.
Dr. Lincoln Chee, President of Singapore Sailing, whose federation is located at the park and whose national team has won several regional sporting medals of late, believes the project can have a “significant impact” on the sport and is pushing for deep consultations when the study commences. “We look forward to discussions with the various agencies to creatively find a way to meet national security and the health and well-being of our maritime traditions,” he said.
If the studies and plans are approved, reclamation work at Singapore’s East Coast Park is expected to take decades to complete.
