In Southeast Asia, Jakarta would not be the only city that would submerge underwater due to climate change and the rising sea levels.



Singapore is facing the same conundrum as well. In fact, 30% of land which is below sea levels face the risk of going under in 50 to 100 years time.



Luckily for the Lion City, it's prepared to meet the crisis head on.



During its National Day rally on August 18, the country's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore would prepare itself in three practical methods.

Method I: Understanding climate change.

Through the setting up of Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS), Singapore is readying itself to understand the crisis better before coming out with any solutions.

Method II: Policies to control climate change.

During its National Day rally, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong revealed three ways the country will face climate change. IMAGE: DollarsAndSense.sg

The centre, established in 2013, was set up to study climate change and how weather systems impact not only the country but the entire region.It includes teams of scientists and meteorologists who pore over centuries of records. The team has discovered that because Singapore is close by the equator, it is much more prone to climate change than what the global model shows.In short: Shit is a lot more serious than it appears.

Because Singapore is a signatory of the Paris Climate Agreement together with 195 other nations to curb rise in global temperature, the Southeast Asian country has been imposing carbon tax.



This tax is imposed on 30 to 40 big carbon emitters who have to fork out US$3.61 for each tonne of greenhouse gas that is released until 2023.



The years beyond that would see the tax increase to US$7.22 or US$10.83 for one tonne.

According to Lee, efforts would also be made to inculcate the values of reducing, recycling, and reusing to hopefully decrease carbon footprint at the grassroots level.

Method III: Infrastructure to adapt to climate change.

An artists' impression of the polder at Pulau Tekong. IMAGE: Housing & Development Board

While acknowledging that there is no globalised solution for the crisis, Lee admitted that Singapore has to prepare for the worst regardless.



The Lion City has been including infrastructural measures in its new developments while taking into consideration the rise in sea levels.

Brand new buildings are built four to five metres above sea level while pump houses are created to curb flooding.



Another option which Singapore is considering seriously are polders with the first to be completed at Pulau Tekong by 2022.



Poldering requires a wall to be built in the sea with water being pumped from behind the structure to keep the water from venturing in.



The Tekong project is an experiment and if it is successful, Singapore would consider doing the same for its East Coast area.



It'll cost the Lion City a whopping US$72.22 to build these polders.

Best of luck, Singapore!



Cover image sourced from Freepik.