Opening remarks at Our Coastal Conversation @ North-West Coast - Ms Goh Hanyan

Good morning. Thank you for spending your Saturday morning with us.

Coastal protection is something that requires different stakeholders from all parts of society to come together because, inherently, rising sea levels affect all of us.

1. Protecting our biodiversity and our coast is also something that we collectively own, and PUB has taken the lead in bringing people together to understand different perspectives and explore how we can reimagine our coastlines.

2. We have a diverse group here with people from various backgrounds: students, professionals, retirees, and nature enthusiasts. Everyone brings a unique perspective, and I am keen to hear from all of you about your views and what you would like to see.

For those less familiar with the challenges we face: Singapore is low-lying and extremely vulnerable to sea level rise. By 2100, sea levels could rise by more than a metre. Over 30% of Singapore's land area, including where we are now, could be underwater if we do nothing. 

1. We are working backwards from that future scenario, starting with sessions like today, to figure out how to protect our coastlines so that locations like Sungei Buloh do not get affected, and can even thrive as sea levels rise.

2. Since 2021, PUB has been studying different parts of the coastline. You may have seen our exhibition at VivoCity, which showcased our thinking for various parts of Singapore's coastline.

3. We are dividing the coastline into different parts, and each part will require a different timeline and have very different considerations.

Let me share how we can reimagine our coastlines. 

1. Marina Barrage exemplifies how coastal protection can simultaneously create new spaces for living and recreation.

2. Long Island is another example of how we have used reclamation to rethink how we want to make our coastline more usable and liveable. 

3. Likewise, for Sungei Buloh, we will share with you later some of the options that you could think about. 

I have discussed the imperative and the opportunities for reimagining our coast. Now let me address the difficult reality of trade-offs. Every solution requires sacrifices elsewhere. That is why we are having these early conversations – to understand the inherent trade-offs in protecting different coastal areas using different options. Some options may require sacrificing productive land, meaning less space for housing or industry. Others might necessitate rethinking parts of our natural environment and biodiversity. 

Sometimes, it may also mean allowing certain areas of Singapore to flood briefly during specific periods, then return to normal function afterwards, so that we do not need to undertake major construction works in those areas. These represent just some of the options that PUB and other agencies are carefully considering, and we welcome your suggestions and ideas.

To summarise, I have outlined three key points today: the imperative we face, the opportunities to reimagine our coastlines, and the importance of understanding the trade-offs involved in this critical issue as we work to protect ourselves and future generations.

Thank you for spending your Saturday morning with us, and I look forward to meeting every one of you.