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Orchard Road Flood: Next Steps
Written by YP Activists of the North   
Thursday, 17 June 2010 09:17
Some YP activists write in a personal capacity

We were shocked by the flooding in Orchard Road and other areas. Born well into the post-1965 era, we don’t recall ever witnessing floods of this severity. A 1999 New Paper article has the title "Why Orchard Road will never flood". Well, "almost never" -- as that reporter rightly forecasted. Today, a mere 11 years later, Orchard Road has flooded. Singaporeans like you and us are rightfully concerned.

Yes, it was a lot of rain. The New Paper article mentions the "worst ever flood" of 1978, when 512mm rain fell in a day - or 21mm per hour. This time 100mm rain fell in 3 hours - that's 33mm per hour, over 50% heavier than 1978.


© Associated Press
It is easy to criticise, to be an online cynic, to campaign in the present while cherry-picking snippets from outdated news clippings. Talk is cheap. What matters is what we do next. We must understand the causes of this flood, and do our best to prevent it from recurring.

Any investigation should be systems-wide. In particular:

1. We must review our projections for rainfall and sea levels. Not just the average - for we may face higher peak rainfall and more outliers. Climate change is happening. The assumptions of 1999 may not hold true today.

2. Are there man-made obstructions getting in the way of our canal system? How do we look for them? Are there better ways of identifying blockages?

3. The investigation must be inter-agency. Have city developments and changes in land use outpaced our drainage infrastructure? Can roads (which are not under PUB) be made more robust against flooding? What about buildings with basements? Should we further flood-proof our MRT stations?

PUB looks after water, but flood risk management transcends a single agency, even as floods can affect many Singaporeans.

PUB has done lots of good work over the years. Planning for weather conditions 20 or 30 years ahead is not easy. Floods stick in the memory, yet who remembers the days when there was downpour but no flood? But just as Singapore has overcome unexpected challenges like 9/11 and SARS, we are confident that Singapore agencies can raise their game to match these 21st Century challenges.

How we respond to this challenge together will determine whether Orchard Road flooding is once again relegated to the history books.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 17 August 2010 17:11
 

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