Introduction of Coastal Protection Bill

1. The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) introduced the Coastal Protection Bill (CPB) for First Reading in Parliament today. The CPB safeguards Singapore’s coastline against rising sea levels and extreme weather events by establishing clear responsibilities of landowners for coastal protection and ensuring compliance with coastal protection standards.

2. As a low-lying nation, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to the threat of rising sea levels¹. Singapore already has coastal structures in place. Coastal landowners have been safeguarding their land plots against coastal erosion by building and maintaining structures like revetments and seawalls along the coast.

3. The CPB seeks to ensure a continuous line of coastal defence around Singapore. This will be achieved through clauses requiring landowners, including Ministries, Statutory Boards, and lessees (mainly companies), to implement coastal protection measures for their respective land plots. Coastal protection is a long-term endeavour, which requires years of planning and construction. The CPB is tabled now to give landowners and the industry sufficient notice and lead time to be familiar with the requirements.

4. Since 2021, Singapore has progressively carried out site-specific studies to develop tailored coastal protection plans for different segments of the coastline. The Government will implement most of the coastal protection measures as it owns 70% of the coastline. The remaining coastline is occupied by private landowners and lessees² who will need to implement their own coastal protection measures.

5. Landowners will be given at least 10 years’ advance notice to implement coastal protection measures. The timelines for landowners to complete the measures will be aligned to the progress of the respective site-specific studies. This decentralised approach will allow landowners to have the flexibility of selecting measures that meet their needs and dovetailing coastal protection works with their planned developments.

6. In addition, the CPB will ensure the functionality of the coastal protection measures over time and give PUB powers to regulate these measures. Please refer to Annex for the key features of the CPB.

Support to be provided for landowners

7. The Government and PUB will provide landowners with financial and technical support (e.g. technical consultations) to meet the minimum coastal protection standards. More information on the support will be shared when ready.

Proactive engagements with stakeholders

8. In formulating the CPB, PUB conducted engagements with potentially affected waterfront companies to understand their concerns and gather feedback. MSE and PUB have taken their feedback into consideration in developing the CPB. We will continue to work closely with affected parties to address any technical concerns or feedback.

9. The CPB will amend the existing Sewerage and Drainage Act (SDA) and rename it as the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act (SDCPA). Parliament will debate the Bill at the Second Reading which is slated for March 2026. For the full text of the Bill, please refer to: https://go.gov.sg/coastalprotectionbillfirstreading.

¹ According to the Third National Climate Change Study, mean sea level is expected to rise by up to 1.15 metres by 2100. Coupled with storm surges and high tides, sea levels could rise by up to 5 metres. Singapore is particularly vulnerable to the threat of sea level rise, as around 30 per cent of our island is less than 5 metres above mean sea level.

² Lessees on leases longer than 3 years.

Annex – Key Features of Coastal Protection Bill

A)            Landowners are to implement coastal protection measures

Landowners and long-term lessees of prescribed places along the coast are required to implement coastal protection measures for their land plots, in accordance with the latest standards in the Coastal Protection Code of Practice (COP). PUB will launch the Coastal Protection COP in mid-2026 which will specify the planning, design, operation, and maintenance standards of coastal protection structures in Singapore.

To ensure that there is a continuous line of defence, landowners and long-term lessees must connect their measures with those on adjacent land plots. This is because any unprotected section may allow seawater to enter the area during a coastal flooding event, such as storm surges. The CPB establishes clear requirements to facilitate connection works. It also allows PUB to designate a landowner to connect his measure to the coastal protection measure on his neighbour’s land. This is to ensure seamless protection along the entire coastline.

Safeguards for completed coastal protection measures

Upon completion, all coastal protection measures will be designated in the Coastal Protection Interpretation Plan (CPIP). This will be a digital map where contractors and registered users can access relevant details of the completed coastal protection measures. Thereafter, landowners’ and long-term lessees’ obligations to operate and maintain the measures will come into effect.

Designated Transiently Floodable Areas

To minimise impact on land use, PUB will also have the powers to designate Transiently Floodable Areas such as at beaches and coastal parks. This is to allow the public to enjoy unimpeded access to the seafront. As there is a possibility that these areas may be flooded temporarily for a few days due to storm surges, landowners are required to prepare a flood response plan for such scenarios.

B)            Provisions to ensure continued functionality of the coastal protection measures

To ensure continued functionality of the coastal protection measures on their land, landowners and long-term lessees will be required to inspect, monitor, maintain and repair their coastal protection measures. Should there be any observed damage to the coastal protection measure, landowners will be required to inform PUB and submit a rectification plan. Landowners must also appoint a Flood Protection Manager to assist them in complying with the coastal protection requirements.

PUB will maintain centralised regulatory control of the measures. Landowners and long-term lessees will need to seek PUB’s approval before undertaking works for purposes of coastal protection or which may affect existing coastal protection measures. This is to minimise the risk of any accidental damage to coastal protection measures during construction or development works along the coast.

C)            PUB to have the powers to enforce coastal protection

To safeguard Singapore against sea level rise, it is critical to ensure a continuous line of defence along our coastline.

There will be penalties for actions that affect the continuous line of defence, and for failures to comply with written notices from PUB.