Singapore's Preparedness for Return of El Nino Weather Conditions

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in view of the possible return of the El Nino weather conditions, (a) how prepared is Singapore to deal with the hotter, drier climate in terms of water supply; and (b) how is Singapore preparing for the protection of green areas including the prevention of bush fires.

PUB has made major investments to bolster our water security over many decades. NEWater and desalinated water, which are weather-resilient sources, were introduced to supplement our local catchment and imported water sources. Today, these weather-resilient sources are able to provide 55% of Singapore’s water demand and will provide a safety margin during dry periods. Thus, despite experiencing the longest dry spell in 149 years in 2014, as well as the dry weather earlier this year, we did not have to put in place mandatory water restriction measures or water rationing.

The construction of a third desalination plant in Tuas will begin later this year and additional desalination plants are being planned for. These projects will ensure that we continue to be resilient during periods of drought in the future.

However, we must not be complacent. Climate change will bring more extreme weather including more frequent and more prolonged dry spells. We have also noticed that water consumption increases during dry periods despite reminders to conserve water. We are thus

Page: 170

studying the need for legislative amendments to impose water restrictions for non-essential activities, such as the washing of cars, watering of grass and lawns and water features, during severe droughts. If everyone puts in effort to conserve water, this will go a long way in ensuring resilience of our water supply under all circumstances.

The Wildfire Task Force (WFTF), led by SCDF and comprising HDB, SLA, NEA, NParks, JTC and MINDEF, was set up in 2005 to drive a whole-of-Government approach to address the risk of vegetation fires, especially during dry weather. The task force convenes regularly to share statistics on vegetation fires, weather updates and potential hotspots. Precautionary measures are also taken by Government land owners, such as NParks, SLA and MINDEF. These measures include (a) vegetation trimming to reduce fire load, (b) creation of buffers to prevent fire spread, (c) increased frequency of patrols by NParks rangers, and (d) restrictions on the use of pyrotechnics during military training (where applicable).

During dry spells, agencies will implement additional fire prevention measures such as not parking vehicles or operating equipment that generate excessive sparks or heat in dry vegetation areas and conducting more patrols or daily aerial surveillance of hotspots of their respective managed areas. SCDF will also step up patrols at potential hotspots to detect fire risks and take action to mitigate any fire occurrences.

In addition, to strengthen our emergency plans and responses, SCDF conducts regular joint wild fire simulation exercises with the relevant agencies at various locations, especially areas that are highly vegetated. A high level of emergency preparedness and validated response plans will help minimise damage to life, property and greenery, should any vegetation fire occur.