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SINGAPORE : Experts that MediaCorp spoke to on Friday said Singapore has good facilities to prevent flooding, but they suggested taking a holistic approach such as having more green buildings.
The rooftops of buildings and the space between buildings are some areas that can be used to help prevent floods and save water, said Dr Ole Larsen from the Dansk Hydraulisk Institut-Nanyang Technological University Research Centre and Education Hub.
Dr Larsen, Centre Director, DHI-NTU Research Centre and Education Hub, said: "When it rains heavily, it might be an advantage to store some of the water on the rooftops - for instance in a roof garden, etc. That requires, of course, that the buildings are constructed appropriately.
"The shopping centre could capture the water in a tank and basically have a separate piping system for flushing toilets."
Experts said cities like Singapore rely heavily on storm water systems to prevent floods. They noted that Singapore has done well in this aspect, but there is room for improvement.
As the effects of climate change could spell more unpredictable weather, experts said countries like Singapore need to brace for more freak storms.
Dr Michael Butts, head of Innovation, Dansk Hydraulisk Institut, said the most important consideration for Singapore is the rising sea level. "We are in a low-lying country and an island and if the sea level rises a metre or so, it's going to have a dramatic affect.
"There will be an increase in rainfall - exactly how they will occur, we are not sure. It could be there will be more tropical storms, more intense rainfall," he added.
The effort to turn existing buildings into green structures is costly for owners. One way to get around this is to incorporate green strategies into future building plans.
- CNA/al
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