Singapore invests another $135m for coastal protection, flood resilience research

SINGAPORE – Singapore is injecting another $135 million for coastal protection and flood resilience.

The new tranche of funds will go towards research for practical solutions in three areas – to improve construction efficiency for future coastal works; optimise tidal gates and pumping stations for dense urban environments; and enhance digital solutions for predictive maintenance and monitoring. 

The new Coastal and Flood Resilience (CFR) Funding Initiative was announced by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Goh Hanyan at a symposium on Oct 21.

She highlighted the need for Singapore to prepare for inland flooding as the climate changes, noting that when heavy rainfall coincides with higher sea levels or storm surges, excess stormwater may not drain effectively and can cause flooding to spread farther inland. 

Major drainage outlets will require wider drains, tidal gates and pumping stations to manage heavy rainfall in such conditions, she added.

So research is needed to explore systems that are “more compact, energy-efficient and easier to maintain, so they can fit within Singapore’s limited waterfront space”.

Speaking at the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore’s annual symposium, Goh also noted that the authorities will “explore how these facilities can be integrated with green spaces and public use, so that these flood-protection measures are not just a single-purpose infrastructure but ones that people can also enjoy”.

The new funding will also go to research in two other areas, she said.

One is to explore construction methods that require less manpower, shorten construction time, reduce the amount of land needed, and use sustainable materials like recycled waste.

The other is to focus on enhancing digital solutions, using connected sensors and remote tools for early warning and predictive maintenance. 

National water agency PUB said it will begin calling for proposals under these areas from 2027.

The new $135 million tranche of funds comes from the $37 billion that had been allocated to research activities in Singapore from 2026 to 2030 under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 (RIE2030) plan. 

It comes on top of the $125 million first put into establishing the Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research Programme in 2023. 

To date, PUB has funded 46 research projects under the programme.

Eight of these projects were awarded on Oct 21. 

One project aims to combine conventional coastal structures with natural habitats such as mangroves and corals – living components that can help protect the shore and provide ecological benefits.

Another project explores modular coastal barriers for rapid deployment during emergencies or while permanent seawalls are being repaired.

CFI Singapore executive director professor Adrian Law said at the symposium: “The scale and complexity of coastal adaptation for the world, and for Singapore as a country, mean that no single institution or discipline can address these challenges alone.”

Goh added that “coastal protection is not a one-time effort”.

“It is a continuous process of learning and improving as conditions evolve and our knowledge deepens. Research remains an essential pillar of our adaptation journey.”