SINGAPORE: Landowners along Singapore’s coastline could soon be legally required to implement or upgrade coastal defences under a new Bill introduced in parliament on Tuesday (Feb 3), as part of a long-term push to ensure Singapore is protected against rising sea levels.
The proposed Coastal Protection Bill would require landowners – including government ministries, statutory boards and lessees, which are mainly companies — to implement coastal protection measures on their plots of land.
The move is necessary to ensure a continuous line of coastal defence around Singapore, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and national water agency PUB said in a joint release at the first reading of the Bill in parliament.
About 70 per cent of Singapore’s coastline is owned by the government, which will carry out most of the protection works.
The remaining stretches are held by private companies and lessees that are also non-residential. These comprise mostly shipyards or ports, businesses in the oil and gas industry, and manufacturing sectors, PUB's deputy chief executive of flood resilience Angela Koh said.
Most are located on the south-west coast, like the Tuas and Pioneer industrial estates, and Jurong Island. The remaining are located along the northern coast, like the Senoko industrial estate.
Landowners will have the flexibility to select measures that meet their own needs and operations as long as they comply with PUB’s standards and are completed before the deadline.
These landowners may, for example, install movable structures such as barriers that will still allow them access to the sea for commercial reasons.
To help affected landowners meet the new requirements, the government will provide financial and technical support, such as technical consultations. More details will be shared at a later date.
Under the proposed law, landowners will be given at least 10 years’ advance notice to implement coastal protection measures.
"Coastal protection is a long-term endeavour, which requires years of planning and construction. The Coastal Protection Bill is tabled now to give landowners and the industry sufficient notice and lead time to be familiar with the requirements," MSE and PUB said.
The Bill will cover the whole of Singapore, including the offshore islands.
The timelines will be aligned with the respective site-specific studies that have been progressively carried out since 2021 for the different segments of Singapore's coastline.
The first coastal protection site-specific study for the City-East Coast region was completed last year, with PUB announcing measures to protect that segment, which includes the Greater Southern Waterfront and Changi.
The proposed Bill comes amid growing concern over sea-level rise.
According to the latest national climate study, mean sea levels around Singapore could rise by up to 1.15m by the end of the century. Sea levels could spike by as much as 5m during extreme events when combined with storm surges and high tides.
Around 30 per cent of Singapore's land lies less than 5m above mean sea level, making the island vulnerable to such rises.
Singapore already has some coastal structures in place.
Currently, around 70 to 80 per cent of Singapore's coastline is protected by structures such as seawalls and stone embankments.
Other structures, such as dykes, dams and tidal gates, protect parts of the coastline where there are coastal reservoirs.
PUB will launch the coastal protection code of practice in mid-2026. This will specify the planning, design, operation, and maintenance standards along the entire coastline.
As part of the regulations, they will be required to connect their defences with adjacent plots to ensure there are no gaps along the coastline that could allow seawater to enter during a coastal flooding event.
As the regulator of the measures, PUB will be able to designate a landowner to connect their measures to those on a neighbouring plot.
Once completed, all coastal protection measures will be recorded in a digital Coastal Protection Interpretation Plan, a map that will show the details of completed measures and will be accessible by contractors and registered users.
Beyond construction, landowners and long-term lessees will also be required to ensure the continued functionality of coastal protection measures on their land. This includes inspection, monitoring, maintenance and repair of structures.
Maintenance regimes for the measures will be detailed in the code of practice, and owners will need to keep records and submit them to PUB when required.
They will be required to inform PUB and submit rectification plans if damage is observed on the coastal protection structures.
Landowners must also appoint a flood protection manager to help them comply with the requirements. Flood protection managers will have to undergo training and will be the primary contact with PUB for coastal protection matters.
Owners with coastal deployable barriers will need to operate their measures when instructed by PUB, such as when there is an imminent flood risk.
These owners will need to prepare standard operating procedures and organise drills to ensure they can operate these barriers and that the structures are functional.
The frequency of these drills will be stated in the regulations.
Landowners and long-term lessees will also have to seek PUB’s approval before undertaking coastal protection works or carrying out works that may affect existing measures.
The Bill also gives PUB enforcement powers and prescribes penalties for actions that compromise the continuous line of defence, among other offences.
Potential penalties range from S$15,000 (US$11,800) to S$200,000, and may involve jail terms, depending on the nature and severity of the offence. Both landowners and members of the public can be taken to task.
Those who affect the continuous line of defence can be jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to S$200,000. Offences include owners who fail to put in place a coastal protection measure as required by the code of practice or by the prescribed date.
A person who damages or affects the functionality of a structure, or an owner who alters or demolishes a defence structure without PUB's approval, could also be liable.
An owner who fails to comply with a written notice, clearance certificates or approvals could be fined up to S$20,000.
The proposed law also allows PUB to designate certain locations, such as beaches and coastal parks, as transiently floodable areas.
These areas may be allowed to flood temporarily during extreme weather events. For example, the authorities are exploring the possibility of allowing parts of Sungei Buloh, Singapore's first wetland nature reserve, to be temporarily flooded.
Such areas will still have unimpeded access to the sea for functional purposes, but landowners will be required to prepare a flood response plan and conduct regular drills to ensure the safety of people in the event of flooding.
Sheltered structures within these areas and structures fixed onto the seabed, such as jetties, must also be protected from both permanent and transient flooding. Owners can seek exemptions from PUB for these structures if they assess that they are able to withstand flooding.
An owner of a transiently floodable coastal area who fails to prepare, update, make available, submit or execute flood response plans, or organise drills, may be fined up to S$15,000 and jailed for up to three months.
Owners who fail to inform PUB if the functionality of the coastal protection measure is compromised, or fail to submit a rectification or repair work assessment, face similar penalties.
Affected landowners or lessees will be informed of their responsibilities from the early 2030s, progressively by region after the completion of site-specific studies, MSE and PUB said.
PUB has been engaging private landowners who may be affected by the proposed law since September 2025 to inform them of the proposed policies and address their concerns.
The proposed Bill will also amend the existing Sewerage and Drainage Act to the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act.
Parliament is expected to debate the Bill at its second reading in March.
Continue reading...
The proposed Coastal Protection Bill would require landowners – including government ministries, statutory boards and lessees, which are mainly companies — to implement coastal protection measures on their plots of land.
The move is necessary to ensure a continuous line of coastal defence around Singapore, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and national water agency PUB said in a joint release at the first reading of the Bill in parliament.
About 70 per cent of Singapore’s coastline is owned by the government, which will carry out most of the protection works.
The remaining stretches are held by private companies and lessees that are also non-residential. These comprise mostly shipyards or ports, businesses in the oil and gas industry, and manufacturing sectors, PUB's deputy chief executive of flood resilience Angela Koh said.
Most are located on the south-west coast, like the Tuas and Pioneer industrial estates, and Jurong Island. The remaining are located along the northern coast, like the Senoko industrial estate.
Landowners will have the flexibility to select measures that meet their own needs and operations as long as they comply with PUB’s standards and are completed before the deadline.
These landowners may, for example, install movable structures such as barriers that will still allow them access to the sea for commercial reasons.
To help affected landowners meet the new requirements, the government will provide financial and technical support, such as technical consultations. More details will be shared at a later date.
Under the proposed law, landowners will be given at least 10 years’ advance notice to implement coastal protection measures.
Also read:
"Coastal protection is a long-term endeavour, which requires years of planning and construction. The Coastal Protection Bill is tabled now to give landowners and the industry sufficient notice and lead time to be familiar with the requirements," MSE and PUB said.
The Bill will cover the whole of Singapore, including the offshore islands.
The timelines will be aligned with the respective site-specific studies that have been progressively carried out since 2021 for the different segments of Singapore's coastline.
The first coastal protection site-specific study for the City-East Coast region was completed last year, with PUB announcing measures to protect that segment, which includes the Greater Southern Waterfront and Changi.
The proposed Bill comes amid growing concern over sea-level rise.
According to the latest national climate study, mean sea levels around Singapore could rise by up to 1.15m by the end of the century. Sea levels could spike by as much as 5m during extreme events when combined with storm surges and high tides.
Around 30 per cent of Singapore's land lies less than 5m above mean sea level, making the island vulnerable to such rises.
Singapore already has some coastal structures in place.
Currently, around 70 to 80 per cent of Singapore's coastline is protected by structures such as seawalls and stone embankments.
Other structures, such as dykes, dams and tidal gates, protect parts of the coastline where there are coastal reservoirs.
LANDOWNER RESPONSIBILITIES
PUB will launch the coastal protection code of practice in mid-2026. This will specify the planning, design, operation, and maintenance standards along the entire coastline.
As part of the regulations, they will be required to connect their defences with adjacent plots to ensure there are no gaps along the coastline that could allow seawater to enter during a coastal flooding event.
As the regulator of the measures, PUB will be able to designate a landowner to connect their measures to those on a neighbouring plot.
Once completed, all coastal protection measures will be recorded in a digital Coastal Protection Interpretation Plan, a map that will show the details of completed measures and will be accessible by contractors and registered users.
Beyond construction, landowners and long-term lessees will also be required to ensure the continued functionality of coastal protection measures on their land. This includes inspection, monitoring, maintenance and repair of structures.
Maintenance regimes for the measures will be detailed in the code of practice, and owners will need to keep records and submit them to PUB when required.
They will be required to inform PUB and submit rectification plans if damage is observed on the coastal protection structures.
Landowners must also appoint a flood protection manager to help them comply with the requirements. Flood protection managers will have to undergo training and will be the primary contact with PUB for coastal protection matters.
Owners with coastal deployable barriers will need to operate their measures when instructed by PUB, such as when there is an imminent flood risk.
These owners will need to prepare standard operating procedures and organise drills to ensure they can operate these barriers and that the structures are functional.
The frequency of these drills will be stated in the regulations.
Landowners and long-term lessees will also have to seek PUB’s approval before undertaking coastal protection works or carrying out works that may affect existing measures.
POTENTIAL PENALTIES
The Bill also gives PUB enforcement powers and prescribes penalties for actions that compromise the continuous line of defence, among other offences.
Potential penalties range from S$15,000 (US$11,800) to S$200,000, and may involve jail terms, depending on the nature and severity of the offence. Both landowners and members of the public can be taken to task.
Those who affect the continuous line of defence can be jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to S$200,000. Offences include owners who fail to put in place a coastal protection measure as required by the code of practice or by the prescribed date.
A person who damages or affects the functionality of a structure, or an owner who alters or demolishes a defence structure without PUB's approval, could also be liable.
An owner who fails to comply with a written notice, clearance certificates or approvals could be fined up to S$20,000.
Also read:
TRANSIENTLY FLOODABLE AREAS
The proposed law also allows PUB to designate certain locations, such as beaches and coastal parks, as transiently floodable areas.
These areas may be allowed to flood temporarily during extreme weather events. For example, the authorities are exploring the possibility of allowing parts of Sungei Buloh, Singapore's first wetland nature reserve, to be temporarily flooded.
Such areas will still have unimpeded access to the sea for functional purposes, but landowners will be required to prepare a flood response plan and conduct regular drills to ensure the safety of people in the event of flooding.
Sheltered structures within these areas and structures fixed onto the seabed, such as jetties, must also be protected from both permanent and transient flooding. Owners can seek exemptions from PUB for these structures if they assess that they are able to withstand flooding.
An owner of a transiently floodable coastal area who fails to prepare, update, make available, submit or execute flood response plans, or organise drills, may be fined up to S$15,000 and jailed for up to three months.
Owners who fail to inform PUB if the functionality of the coastal protection measure is compromised, or fail to submit a rectification or repair work assessment, face similar penalties.
Affected landowners or lessees will be informed of their responsibilities from the early 2030s, progressively by region after the completion of site-specific studies, MSE and PUB said.
PUB has been engaging private landowners who may be affected by the proposed law since September 2025 to inform them of the proposed policies and address their concerns.
The proposed Bill will also amend the existing Sewerage and Drainage Act to the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act.
Parliament is expected to debate the Bill at its second reading in March.
Continue reading...