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More than 1 month's worth of rain dumped on Changi in 2 days during Jan. 2025 monsoon surge

More instances of such extreme weather in the future so we need to build up our flood resilience.

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February 04, 2025, 04:35 PM

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Brace yourself for more torrential months like January 2025.

"Climate change will increase flood risks in Singapore due to more extreme and unpredictable rainfall," Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said in parliament on Feb. 4, 2025.

Fu was talking about the Singapore government's efforts in shoring up flood resilience, especially in light of the two monsoon surges that pelted Singapore in January.

So much rain

The first monsoon surge lasted four days from Jan. 10 to 13, while the second monsoon surge lasted three days from Jan. 17 to 19.

From Jan. 10 to 11, a total of 255.2 millimetres of rainfall was recorded at Changi, Fu pointed out, which is more than the average monthly rainfall of 222.4 mm in January.

Previously in January, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said that the monsoon surge from Jan. 10 to 13 was one of the "longer and more intense surge events" in recent years.

To fight such floods, and prepare for future monsoon surges, the government is investing in drainage upgrading projects, some of which are slated to commence this year.

Coping with such deluges, however, would require a "collective effort between the government, businesses and the public," Fu said.

Jalan Seaview

Fu spoke about an incident of flooding that occurred at Jalan Seaview on Jan. 10, during the first monsoon surge in January 2025.

Jalan Seaview is a low-lying area subject to tidal influence.

While PUB had upgraded the roadside drains at Jalan Seaview in 2014 to increase their drainage capacity, some areas in the vicinity of Jalan Seaview remain susceptible to flooding as the road levels are marginally above the high tide level, Fu explained.

Moreover, based on PUB's records in the past five years, the affected area is the only stretch of road along Jalan Seaview that has experienced flooding.

"The longer-term plan is to reclaim and build Long Island which protects the East Coast area, including Jalan Seaview from rising sea levels and tidal floods," Fu said.

According to URA's Draft Master Plan 2025, the Long Island project involves reclaiming about 800 hectares of land off the East Coast, potentially in the form of "islands".

The project would protect the low-lying area from sea level rise, besides creating a new reservoir and land for development.

Building up flood resilience at the system's level

With climate change exacerbating flood risks in Singapore due to more extreme and unpredictable rainfall, PUB has undertaken various measures to build up flood resilience.

PUB regularly issues flood protection devices and continually upgrades drainage infrastructure, Fu said.

In addition to 19 ongoing drainage upgrading works, six more drainage upgrading projects are slated to commence in 2025, Fu added, with the government spending S$150 million on these projects in fiscal year (FY) 2025.

The government is also reviewing its drainage infrastructure plan for the next review cycle of FY 2026 to 2030.

All the same, Fu explained that it is "neither practical nor prudent in land-scarce Singapore to keep building more drains or expanding our drainage infrastructure".

Since flooding in Singapore is largely localised and typically subsides within an hour, Fu said that it would be more effective to "build up flood resilience at a systems level, where building owners, developers as well as the wider community, all play their part alongside the government".

Fu said:

"We encourage developments in low-lying areas, including at Jalan Seaview, to put in place their own flood protection measures, such as deploying flood protection devices to help residents and businesses."

PUB also has codes of practice on surface water drainage that building owners and developers must adhere to, Fu added.

Amendments to the Sewage and Drainage Act were passed in November 2024 to ensure that owners and developers continue to operate and maintain flood protection measures in their premises.

"I encourage everyone to play their part in enhancing Singapore's flood resilience," Fu said.

Top photo from MDDI/YouTube & PUB/Facebook.

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