SINGAPORE -- Singapore is working on putting up their defenses against climate change. In the next two years, the country is putting in $400 million dollars to maintain and upgrade the drainage systems. They are also investing $10 million to studies that look into the rising sea levels and their impact on the island country.
These two measures remain to be on top of a long list of guards against the brewing perfect storm that is brought about by climate change. The Republic sees that these steps are necessary to ensure that they don't get engulfed by the rise in seawater levels. In turn, residents feel safer knowing that steps are being taken to address these concerns.
However, the government emphasized that saving the environment is not something they can do alone. It has to be an effort from every citizen of the country. "Each one plays a role to prevent the concept of 'the end of life as usual' concept of living," said Masagos Zulkifli, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources on Wednesday.
He is calling on the public to find a way they could live a greener lifestyle. The small green changes that everyone does can significantly change how life is lived in the country. He gave a particular example of how it can be done. He spoke of how households could make a switch from the usual fluorescent light bulb to LED lights. It brings about potential energy savings that could reach as high as 5.8 million kwh. Such savings would be what the government needs to power at least 1,000 four-room housing projets.
"Every effort to save the environment is counted. Though there is no single solution to climate change, a collective effort will have an impact," he said.
He was invited as a speaker to the Forum on Partners for the Environment, an annual gathering of partners for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources to explore various ideas and collaborate on projects that concern various environmental issues. In his speech, Mr. Masagos highlighted the aspect of "ultimate threat to human survival" as part of the implications of climate change at the community level.
He pointed out several extreme weather conditions affecting various parts of the world and the severity of their impacts. "These are no longer one of those off-events that is not likely to happen again. These are symptoms of problems that are only about to get worse," he added.
The money that Singapore is to put in the efforts to understand further the severity of climate change will indeed be an investment. It will serve as a learning experience for other countries to do the same as well.
