The climate is changing.
Are you prepared for rising sea levels?

Because more and more greenhouse gases accumulate and get trapped in the atmosphere, our planet warms. As a result, polar ice caps melt, glaciers shrink and eventually disappear, and the oceans rise.

Much of Singapore, pancake-flat and surrounded by the sea, stands no more than 5m above mean sea level. If we ignore climate change and the rising seas, our island country will be inundated and destroyed.

PUB, which is also Singapore’s coastal protection agency, is working hard to protect our coastline, and the people and infrastructure within, from sea-level rise. Sea barriers, empoldering and biophilic design are among the range of solutions that can be used to hold back the ever-rising seas.

The climate is changing, and so must we.

The climate is changing.
Are you prepared for extreme rain and flooding?

Climate change will bring more frequent bouts of intense rainfall, and the occasional flash flood. The 318.6mm of rain that fell on the first day of this year was significantly more than the 238.3mm historical average rainfall for the entire month of January, and within the top 1% of maximum daily rainfall records for the past 39 years.

To bolster Singapore’s flood resilience, PUB continues to improve and expand our drainage infrastructure. But you, too, have an important role to play.

First and foremost, stay away from flood-affected areas. If you are caught in a flash flood, move to higher ground and stay there until water levels subside. If you live in a low-lying area, be equipped with flood barriers and flood bags, and be ready to deploy them once you receive a flood alert.

Together, we can become more prepared and ready for what the future will bring.

The climate is changing, and so must we.

The climate is changing.
Are you prepared to go green?

Industrial emissions and the unrestrained burning of fossil fuels have driven the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere to unprecedented levels.

Because greenhouse gases trap heat, its rapid accumulation can only lead to an inexorable rise in air and sea temperatures, as the world is now witnessing, and then to wholesale changes to the Earth’s climate. Storms become more violent, hurricanes and typhoons increase in power, and flooding gets more common. The opposite, droughts and heatwaves, also become more ordinary. And year-on-year record temperatures shall no longer be unusual.

Every one of us must reduce our carbon footprint.

PUB is investing in green technology for our water treatment plants. At Tengeh Reservoir, we are constructing one of the world’s largest floating solar farms, which can generate enough energy to power Singapore’s waterworks, making them cleaner and greener.

You, too, have a part to play in fighting climate change. By using only what you need and conscientiously practising water-saving habits, you help to protect the environment. Remember, a litre of water that is not used, is a litre not produced. The consequent savings in energy, chemicals, labour and material go towards reducing our collective carbon footprint. We do the Earth a favour by making every drop count.

The climate is changing, and so must we.

The climate is changing.
Are you prepared for water shortages?

2019 was the warmest year on record, for Singapore and for the rest of the world. It was also one of the driest years on record. The 1,367.5mm of rain that fell in the whole of 2019 is 37% below the long-term average, making it the third driest year since records started in 1869.

Prolonged dry spells and less rainfall significantly stress the water supply. To make our water supply more resilient to the vagaries of weather, which can only become more erratic with climate change, PUB has added recycled water (NEWater) and desalinated seawater to Singapore’s diversified sources of water.

You, too, can play a part to protect Singapore’s water security. By using only what you need and conscientiously practising water-saving habits, you help to make our system more sustainable for everyone. Remember, a litre of water that is not used, is a litre not produced. The consequent savings in energy, chemicals, labour and material also go towards reducing our collective carbon footprint. We do the Earth a favour by making every drop count.

The climate is changing, and so must we.