Speech by Minister Grace Fu - Committee of Supply 2026

Together, A Climate-Ready Singapore

Mr Chairman,

Introduction

1. My family welcomed a new member, my granddaughter Ning, this year with great delight. Her arrival has made me think differently about the future – her future and the future of the world she will live in. She has moved my goal posts of life – I now wish to live to see her graduate from college; I want to be fit enough to play with her; and she brings new meaning to my work in MSE.

2. Numbers like Net Zero at 2050, mean sea level rise by up to 1.15m in 2100, no longer seem so abstract. Ning will be 24 in 2050. What kind of world will she live in? Will she enjoy bliss and stability, or will she confront chaos, losses and disasters regularly in the prime years of her life?

3. You see, we are confronting two powerful and interconnected challenges:

   • First, the intensifying effects of climate change. Records are being broken in recent years - the hottest year, most intense rainfall, heaviest snowstorm, longest wildfires. Climate hazards are projected to cause economic loss of over a trillion dollars by 2050. Disruptions in food production and water supplies may become frequent occurrences.

   • Second, global climate action is under strain. Economic instability and geopolitical contestation, like the latest conflict in the Middle East, are clouding our focus on protecting our environment. Major emitters may backslide on their climate obligations as they grapple with the global tensions on security, energy, trade and investments. In such uncertain times, the environment becomes an inevitable casualty, and our planet will face the impacts of climate change more severely, and sooner.

4. Singapore will not be spared from these impacts.

   • Our water and food security will be threatened by more frequent supply disruptions and shortages. Rising sea levels, coupled with high tides and extreme weather events, threaten to submerge a significant part of our country by the end of this century, potentially causing major losses in property, our economy, and human lives.

   • Our businesses will likewise face climate risks such as damaged infrastructure, reduced productivity, and supply chain disruptions. Businesses that have invested in other parts of the world would face similar risks.

   • Our people are already feeling the effects. Intensifying heat not only makes daily life uncomfortable, but affects our health, safety and even our way of life.

   • This is not a pretty world to bring Ning into.

5. But as PM Wong said, we are not mere passive bystanders. You and I have agency. Businesses have agency. And Singapore has agency.

6. In an increasingly volatile world, we must prioritise building a climate-ready Singapore now. We must prepare our infrastructure, businesses and people today to be resilient in a climate-impaired future.

7. As Ms Poh Li San and Ms Nadia Samdin have pointed out, strengthening our resilience requires collective action of all segments of society:

   • The Government will lead in our national climate adaptation by identifying climate risks and developing long-term adaptation strategies. Where necessary, we will invest in infrastructure protection. Through GreenGov.SG, we will spearhead adaptation efforts and encourage the private sector to follow.

   • The private sector will include climate adaptation as part of their core business strategy. By conducting climate risk assessments, protecting workers, investing in infrastructure, diversifying supply chains, and insuring against climate hazards, companies can protect themselves from larger losses and reassure their investors. Businesses must be able to ride through extreme weather events and resume operations as quickly as possible. Those who innovate and adapt will thrive in the future.

   • All segments of the community will build climate resilience. Schools can adapt their students’ attire and activities and their classrooms to the heat. Sports organisations can adjust training schedules and enhance their facilities for safety during extreme weather. Grassroots groups can organise emergency preparedness drills for heatwaves, haze, or floods to strengthen community resilience.

   • Each of us can build resilience in ourselves and in our family – look out for our neighbours in times of haze, manage our household’s food and water supplies with contingency, and familiarise ourselves with emergency response plans.

   • Together, we must keep Singapore going as much as possible in step with the changing climate, and recover as quickly as possible in the face of extreme weather events.

Designation of 2026 as the Year of Climate Adaptation

8. We will designate 2026 as the Year of Climate Adaptation – to galvanise this collective effort on adaptation. It involves a comprehensive review of our adaptation measures across key domains such as heat resilience, coastal & flood resilience, and water & food resilience.

9. Together with citizens, businesses and civil society, we will formulate Singapore’s first National Adaptation Plan – our long-term strategy to build a climate-ready nation.

10. Let me elaborate on the key domains of the NAP.

Heat Resilience

11. First, heat resilience. We will strengthen and coordinate heat resilience efforts across the Whole of Government. We will also invest more in R&D to deepen our understanding of heat impacts, develop innovative cooling solutions, and identify effective behavioural changes. SMS Janil will share more details.

Flood Resilience

12. Next, flood resilience. Ms Poh Li San asked whether our drainage infrastructure will still be sufficient if rainfall gets heavier in the future. We regularly review the adequacy of our drainage infrastructure, taking into account the latest drainage design standards and climate projections. Several projects are in the pipeline. For example,

    • We will be carrying out drainage improvement works to Bedok First Subsidiary Drain and Sungei Serangoon Eastern and Western subsidiary drains to reduce flood risks.

    • We will also complete drainage improvements to 900m of the Bukit Timah Canal between Rifle Range Road and Jalan Kampong Chantek this year.

13. Besides drainage improvements, building shared responsibility and fostering community resilience will remain key flood resilience strategies. SPS will share more later.

Coastal Resilience

14. Third – coastal resilience. To protect our coastlines from rising seas, we will build a continuous line of defence around Singapore.

    • We are pleased to share that we have now completed conceptual studies for the North-west Coast from Tuas to Lim Chu Kang. The studies recommended replacing tidal gates and raising the dykes that are protecting our western reservoirs – a significant source of our water supply.

    • Site-specific studies for Sentosa and the Southwest Coast will commence this year.

15. This week marks an important step forward in our coastal protection journey. We will table the Coastal Protection Bill in Parliament for Second Reading, which when passed, will give us the legislation and regulatory powers to implement our coastal protection plan.

16. As we reshape our coastlines for the future, we will work hand-in-hand with stakeholders to co-create solutions that not only protect our shores and preserve the spaces and features we value most, but provide opportunities to create new spaces.

Water & Food Resilience

17. Lastly, water and food resilience. We will continue to innovate and take collective action to ensure Singapore’s basic needs are met, even in times of disruption. SMS Zaqy and SMS Janil will elaborate.

18. We have touched on the ‘why’ and ‘what’ of adaptation. Now on the ‘how’ - a holistic adaptation plan needs to be grounded in and guided by science.

 Climate Science

19. Members asked how we are enhancing climate monitoring and forecasting capabilities, including through international partnerships. Last September, we established the Climate and Weather Research Alliance Singapore, or CAWRAS, to advance tropical climate and weather research for Singapore and Southeast Asia. CAWRAS is implementing a $25 million Weather Science Research Programme, which will raise our capability in weather forecasts and climate projections.

20. Of the Programme’s projects, one covers the use of AI to enhance predictions of heavy rainfall and strong winds, improving our ability to forecast weather phenomena like Sumatra squalls. Another will develop a high-resolution historical weather record, allowing Singapore and Southeast Asia to identify trends and provide insights into regional climate dynamics. These efforts position Singapore as a regional leader in climate and weather science through AI-powered forecasting capabilities that enable evidence-based policymaking.

21. We have forged partnerships with leading climate and weather science institutes. NEA is a Core Partner in the multilateral Momentum Partnership, a consortium of major operational weather centres and climate research centres. NEA also has bilateral agreements with major research organisations in Australia, UK and USA. These partnerships allow us to exchange scientific knowledge and collaborate on climate science research.   

22. We are also expanding our heat stress sensor network - from nine sensors in 2023 to 20 today, and will install more sensors island-wide. This will augment our climate and weather monitoring capabilities, and give the public more accurate heat stress alerts through the myENV app, enabling everyone to protect ourselves from heat.

23. Together, these advancements will help Singapore make more timely and better decisions – from early warning of climate hazards and our food diversification strategy to our long-term adaptation plan.

National Adaptation Plan Engagements

24. As climate change affects everyone, it is important for all Singaporeans to have the opportunity to shape our National Adaptation Plan. Ms Poh and Ms Lee Hui Ying asked how we plan to engage communities on this.

25. This year, the Government will conduct a series of engagements, including focus group discussions and a public exhibition. We will discuss why climate adaptation is important to all of us, and why we need to prepare now. We hope people can share their experiences dealing with the impacts of climate change, and their ideas on how they can also play a part in Singapore’s adaptation efforts.

26. By tapping on the collective minds of citizens, businesses and civil society, we will enhance our nation’s climate resilience to safeguard our way of life, including those with more needs - the elderly, the young and lower-income households.  For businesses, we will engage and partner our industries in developing adaptation strategies that are tailored to their business needs.

27. We will provide more details later this year, and welcome Singaporeans’ active participation.

28. The Government is fully aware that there are many community stakeholders who are passionate about climate action and have innovative ideas on adaptation. To encourage ground-up initiatives, the SG Eco Fund will broaden its funding scope to include adaptation.

29. Let me share an inspiring example. Anak, a local design agency, realised that there is a gap in how we dress for the heat. So they brought together artists from around the world for a showcase on climate-adaptive fashion. They ran workshops, raising awareness about urban heat challenges and teaching participants how to create their own heat-mitigating accessories, turning awareness into action and inspiring new ways of living in a warming world.

30. I’m wearing one of their pieces today – the Ultra Sarung. This scarf, adapted from the sarung, changes colour from yellow to orange when exposed to the sun, giving you a visual alert to UV exposure.

31. We welcome more of such brilliant ideas from the community. SPS will share more about how the Government will support.

32. Mr Chairman, in Chinese.

33. 我部将把这一年拟定为气候适应年。适应气候变化的工作任重道远。

34. 这不是单一部门、机构或团体能够单独完成的任务。企业必须积极参与、创新，社区需要相互配合、扶持，科研人员也必须不断挑战、突破。

35. 更基本的是需要民众的积极参与。无论是在探讨如何更好地应对高温天气、如何面对突发性淹水、或是如何在推进防潮措施的同时维护休闲空间以保护生态环境等议题上，民众的参与决定长远计划的有效性。

36. 民众的意见将为我们首个全国气候适应计划提供重要的参考。该计划将于2027年发布，并在随后数年逐步落实。

Conclusion

37. 主席，作为一名新晋祖母，我希望我的孙女能在一个和平与稳定的环境中成长。然而，即使我国竭尽所能保护境内的环境，外地产生的环境变化仍会影响我们。在这个充满变数的世界里，我希望我的孙女能够以坚韧与自信的心态茁壮成长，勇敢迎接未来的挑战。气候适应的工作不仅仅是在沿海建设防潮堤，它更是提升人民与社区的心理准备和应对能力，以让我国在面对日益多变的极端天气时，依然能从容应对，坚定前行。

38. I want to show Ning that as in the first 60 years of our nation building, we can in the next 60 years and beyond, beat the odds by our collective will, sheer determination and a fighting spirit to never be constrained by our small size in our climate action.

39. Most of all, as a Singaporean, I would like our generation to be a source of pride for the future generations of Singaporeans - that we have done right by them, that with gumption and courage, we have the foresight to make the right strategic decisions, to build a strong foundation for climate resilience for their future.

40. I call on all Members of this House, and all citizens, businesses, and civil society to participate fully in the formulation of our National Adaption Plan in the Year of Climate Adaptation. This is the time to act.

41. Thank you.