S1E2: Visit to East Coast: How reclamation will shape up against rising sea levels

The Straits Times Podcasts

While the future Long Island will guard against sea level rise, the trade-offs to marine life and the East Coast’s character must be addressed, stakeholders say.

Synopsis (headphones recommended): Green Trails is a 4-part environment podcast special for 2024 where The Straits Times hits the ground with experts. The next episode drops in August.

By end-century, Singapore’s mean sea level is expected to rise by up to 1.15m. Now a top attraction in the area, East Coast Park would be a place to avoid if nothing is done.

Frequent floods are likely to put the beach underwater in the future, as climate change continues to exacerbate rising sea levels. And if exceptionally high tides or storm surges were to hit, seawater levels could rise up to 5m, breaking through the coast. The entire park, East Coast Parkway, vehicles and void decks at housing estates like Marine Parade in the vicinity could be submerged in water.

To prevent this reality, there are plans to have a defence offshore. That is Long Island, twice the size of Marina Bay reclaimed off the east coast, with a reservoir in between.

As the June 14 oil spill has shown, human activity - if not managed properly - can threaten coastal and marine habitats, including the biodiversity-rich Southern Islands.

In this second episode of Green Trails, our team heads to East Coast Park and a lesser known habitat near Marina Barrage - important to threatened species and likely to be threatened by reclamation - to find answers.

At the heart of East Coast Park, ST journalist Shabana Begum meets with representatives from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Water Agency PUB - Mr Lee Wai Kin and Mr Thoo Jung Chee. Both agencies are spearheading the Long Island project.

At the little-known Marina East Drive habitat, Shabana uncovers the wildlife there when she takes a walk with Mr Lester Tan, who chairs Nature Society (Singapore)’s Marine Conservation Group.

In the evening, Shabana returns to East Coast Park to speak with Mr Maximus Tan, 22 and Mr Crispus Tan, 27. These youths - who will live to see Long Island taking shape in the next few decades - voice their aspirations for Long Island.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:43 What will happen to East Coast if nothing is done to protect the shoreline?

4:00 How will Long Island defend Singapore from rising sea levels?

11:07 How will the authorities minimise the impact of reclamation on marine life?

16:13 What are the lesser-known biodiversity havens of the East Coast?

22:04 Lester on whether marine life along East Coast will eventually return post-reclamation

26:22 Reactions from Crispus and Maximus on East Coast's changing landscape

32:53 Crispus and Maximus on life on Long Island, their hopes and ideas

Read about Singapore's Long Island plan: https://str.sg/ixC7

More on the mega project here: https://str.sg/6zoP

Listen to other Green Trails episodes:

Ep 1: Visit to Sungei Buloh: How Singapore can better host migratory birds - https://str.sg/BrqS

Ep 3: Visit to Windsor Nature Park: Can insects in SG's backyard be foraged https://omny.fm/shows/green-pulse-1/visit-to-windsor-nature-park-how-big-of-a-role-can

Host: Shabana Begum ([e-mail])

Trail producers: Lynda Hong, Hadyu Rahim, Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive Producers: Ernest Luis ([e-mail]) & Audrey Tan ([e-mail])

Follow Shabana on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/FEid

Read her articles: https://str.sg/5EGd

Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag

Feedback to: [e-mail]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Chapters

1. Visit to East Coast: How reclamation will shape up against rising sea levels (00:00:00)

2. East Coast's fate without shoreline protection (00:02:43)

3. How Long Island defends against rising seas (00:04:00)

4. Minimising reclamation's impact on marine life (00:11:07)

5. Lesser-known biodiversity havens in East Coast (00:16:13)

6. Will marine life return post-reclamation? (00:22:04)

7. Two youths on East Coast's expected changes (00:26:22)

8. Expectations of a future life on Long Island (00:32:53)