29-11-2023 (SINGAPORE) Singapore has unveiled plans for an ambitious project on its east coast, known as “Long Island,” involving the reclamation of approximately 800 hectares of land – equivalent to over 1,000 football fields. The technical studies for this extensive project are scheduled to commence in 2024 and will span the next few years.
Envisioned to be twice the size of downtown Marina Bay, Long Island is proposed to take the form of tracts of land extending from Marina East to Tanah Merah, situated at a distance from the East Coast shoreline. This development would result in an enclosed waterbody, eventually transforming into a freshwater reservoir in front of East Coast Park, adding approximately 20km of new coastal and reservoir parks.
The concept of Long Island was initially introduced in the 1991 Concept Plan, Singapore’s second strategic land use and transportation plan. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted Long Island during his National Day Rally in 2019, and it was featured in an exhibition by the Urban Redevelopment Authority last year.
The primary motivation behind Long Island is coastal protection, with studies projecting a rise in mean sea level of up to 1m by 2100. This, combined with potential high tides and storm surges, could lead to a sea level increase of 4m to 5m, posing a threat to Singapore’s low-lying shorelines. The vulnerability of locations like East Coast Park, where around one-third of Singapore is less than 5m above mean sea level, has prompted the need for innovative solutions.
Rather than opting for a 3m-high sea wall along the entire waterfront of East Coast Park, which would limit beach access and sacrifice a significant portion of the park, authorities are exploring Long Island as a more optimal solution.
Singapore has a history of land reclamation, with the East Coast Reclamation Scheme in 1966 being one notable example, reclaiming a total of 1,525 hectares of land for commercial and residential purposes.
Long Island aims to address rising sea levels while creating additional recreational and residential spaces. Property analysts estimate that up to 60,000 private and public properties could be built on the site. Dr. Woo Jun Jie from the Institute of Policy Studies sees Long Island as a strategic move, simultaneously tackling environmental challenges and providing valuable waterfront spaces.
The implementation of Long Island is expected to be a complex, multi-year project, with potential divisions into segments connecting to Marina East, offering an extension to the future Marina downtown Central Business District, and connecting to Changi Airport and Terminal 5 to support Changi’s transformation into a hub for logistics and aviation-related industries. Experts suggest that Long Island could be a model for other parts of Singapore facing rising sea levels.
