| |
| |
![]() |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
SINGAPORE: Erosion of Singapore's coast lines, massive landslides in Kuala Lumpur caused by flash floods, and more tropical cyclones to hit Hong Kong – these are some predictions by experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
But, these are the same cities least at risk from climate change.
The WWF studied 11 Asian cities and found Dhaka to be the most vulnerable to climate threats, followed by Jakarta, Manila, Kolkata and Phnom Penh.
Coastal erosion is already impacting Singapore, said the non-government organisation, and will "likely worsen with sea-level rise and increased storms". Citing a recent study, the WWF estimated the annual cost of protecting the coast to be between US$300,000 ($416,500) and US$5.7 million by 2050, and between US$900,000 and US$16.8 million by 2100.
'We have time to react'
Some experts have predicted sea levels could rise 60cm by the end of this century.
There are "counter measures" Singapore could look into, said Dr Pavel Tkalich, who heads the Physical Oceanography Research Laboratory at the National University of Singapore. "We have time to react," he said.
These include raising the level of reclaimed land, building dams and installing pumps to expel excess water into the sea.
The Marina Barrage, which cost $230 million, already does this. It acts as a tidal barrier to flash floods in low-lying areas and has pumps and gates to discharge water into the sea.
The Public Utilities Board and the National Environment Agency could not respond by press time on whether the Barrage would be adequate in dealing with further sea-level rises.
But 60cm is at the "upper limit" of climate change predictions, said Dr Tkalich. The range between which sea levels could rise is 20cm to 60cm.
The level itself is not a problem – it will become "worrying if you have tsunami or a storm surge on top of it".
Another threat is dengue. The WWF said that "dengue seems to be spreading to areas of Singapore where it previously was not found" – a sign that the climate is changing.
It ranked Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Hong four vulnerability points out of 10 for dengue. Dhaka received a nine.
- TODAY/so
|
