Singapore has established the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI Singapore) to lead long-term responses to sea level rise and changing coastal dynamics. The Science Center will pursue enduring strategies to adapt to climate-driven water encroachment, with findings shared through reliable avenues for policymakers, planners, and the public in Singapore and beyond.
Experts anticipate that the average sea level could climb by roughly one meter by the close of this century, though the actual rise could be amplified by heavier rainfall, stronger tides, and more intense storms. These factors collectively elevate the risk of coastal inundation and infrastructure disruption, underscoring the need for resilient design and proactive management.
About one-third of Singapore’s land sits within five meters of the shoreline, and the city-state experiences substantial rainfall, averaging around 2.5 thousand millimeters annually. This combination makes the island nation particularly susceptible to flooding and highlights the urgency of robust flood defense measures and adaptive land-use planning that work in harmony with urban development and population density.
In response, the government and supporting institutions have invested heavily in drainage improvements and sophisticated flood-prevention systems. At CFI Singapore, the central aim is to safeguard precious land resources so that the nation can continue to grow without surrendering valuable territory to the sea, even as climate risks intensify and sea levels rise.
Current research at the center explores a spectrum of engineering and nature-based solutions. Projects include the development of flexible dam concepts that can adapt to fluctuating water levels, alongside the use of natural barriers such as mangroves and seaweed beds to attenuate wave energy and stabilize coastlines. These efforts aim to reduce flood risk while preserving natural habitats and supporting fisheries, tourism, and coastal livelihoods across the region.
Beyond local implications, researchers note that climate-driven encroachment on coastlines threatens ecological systems worldwide. Projections indicate that rising seas could imperil thousands of ecosystems by altering habitats, salinity regimes, and nutrient flows, prompting a concerted global response from scientists, engineers, and urban planners who are focused on resilient, sustainable adaptation strategies.