SINGAPORE – The Government is planning to start preparatory works for Long Island, and will progressively undertake these works to minimise the impact on those who frequent the area.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in a statement on March 30 said the works, which include removing seabed obstructions and the movement of the materials into the waters, are important to ensure the timely completion for the reclamation off East Coast Park.

The reclaimed land - tentatively dubbed Long Island - will span Tanah Merah to Marina East.

The three tracts of land - collectively about twice the size of Marina Bay - will be reclaimed to create about 800ha of land for new homes, a new reservoir and about 20km of new waterfront parks.

The project will protect the low-lying East Coast Park area, which is largely lower than 5m above the mean sea level. This is the extent of projected sea-level rise in Singapore by the end of this century, if higher global mean sea levels coincide with extreme high tides and storm surges.

The URA noted that some seafront areas, such as East Coast Park, have experienced coastal flooding in recent years due to seasonal high tides.

These events in January 2024 and January 2026, against the backdrop of rising sea levels and more intense rainfall, underscore the need to begin coastal protection works progressively, it added.

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The URA said: “Agencies are working out the specific timeline and scope of preparatory works, which will be undertaken progressively to minimise the impact on users at the East Coast as far as possible.

“Agencies will continue to engage relevant stakeholders, and more details will be announced in the coming months.”

The URA did not give further details on when these works will start.

The authority said the preparatory works will not lock in the plans for Long Island and will not involve reclamation works.

The plans and design for the project will only be finalised after the full findings of technical studies, mitigation measures and feedback from further public engagements have been taken onboard.

Since November 2023, URA and other agencies have engaged more than 14,000 people on their aspirations and ideas for Long Island.

The agency said there was consensus on the critical need to protect the low-lying East Coast from rising sea levels, and recognition that the reclamation project is an optimal solution that brings multiple national benefits.

URA noted that there were suggestions to incorporate nature-based solutions such as creating conditions for marine life and inter-tidal habitats to thrive, as well as to implement the works in phases to mitigate the impact on affected stakeholders as much as possible.

Many participants also expressed the importance of retaining the recreational nature of East Coast Park.

There were also suggestions for the creation of beaches and bio-revetments that can be integrated with the new Long Island coastline, and for the future Long Island reservoir to support recreational uses and water activities, similar to Marina Reservoir.

Acknowledging that East Coast Park is an important recreational space with shared social memories, the URA said it will plan for Long Island and the new reservoir to facilitate future recreational activities.

The authority said the Government will continue to evaluate the feasibility of these ideas, and factor them into the ongoing technical studies.

Going forward, the agencies are planning more engagements with stakeholders and the public to dive deeper into key topics, such as the types of activities that could take place along the new ‘Long Island’ coastline and future reservoir.

The case for Long Island

The concept for Long Island was first revealed in Singapore’s Concept Plan 1991, a strategic land use and transportation plan to guide the Republic’s development over the next 40 to 50 years.

At the 2019 National Rally, then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said reclamation was being studied as a means to defend the East Coast Park area against rising seas, while creating space for a freshwater reservoir.

A concept of the project was showcased at the Long-Term Plan Review Exhibition by the Urban Redevelopment Authority that year.

The next year, then Minister for National Development Desmond Lee announced in an event at East Coast Park that technical studies for the Long Island project will take five years, starting from early 2024.

He said the government had also studied various coastal protection options as alternatives to the reclamation, including the possibility of building a sea wall up to 3m tall.

While such a wall was technically feasible, it was deemed not ideal because access to the waterfront for recreation and sports would be permanently limited.

Instead, a large tidal gate and pumping station will be built in between each tract of reclaimed land. These will control the water level in a new reservoir bordered by East Coast Park and the new land masses, and, in the process, reduce the risk of the East Coast area flooding.

The new reservoir can also be used for water activities like canoeing and dragon-boating.

Waterfront homes are expected to be built on the reclaimed land, along with amenities and industrial facilities.

About 20km of new coastal and reservoir parks could be added, as part of a 120km-long stretch of accessible waterfront space along Singapore’s southern coast.

The authorities previously said Long Island will take several decades to plan, design and build.

Environmental impact concerns

As the area is close to beaches where turtles nest, as well as corals and seagrass, environmentalists have called for measures to protect these sensitive marine habitats from day one.

They also highlighted that biodiversity hotspots in the Southern Islands, which are less than 10km away from the mainland, could be affected if care is not taken.

The chain of islands is home to the largest diversity of marine life in Singapore and its remaining healthy reefs.

SINGAPORE – The carbon tax revenue for emissions year 2025, expected to be collected by end-September, is comparable with the revenue collected for emissions released in 2024 at around $660 million, said the Government.

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These allowances were first implemented in 2024. But their quantum, which firms they were given to and how long they would be in place for, were never officially revealed.