Singapore
Capital:
Singapore
Land Area:
687km²
Inland Water Area:
10km²
Length of Coastline:
268km
Since 2009, Singapore has been implementing Integrated Urban Coastal Management (IUCM) based on the Integrated Coastal Management framework advocated by PEMSEA which takes into account Singapore’s unique urban context. The IUCM has four guiding principles: (1) proactive planning and management by optimizing the use of coastal resources, including coastal spaces in a sustainable manner; (2) a Whole-of-Government approach to ensure consultative planning and coordination of policies in coastal and marine land use and planning; (3) active partnerships through community engagement and public awareness programs and; (4) science-based management through research, monitoring, habitat restoration and enhancement programmes.
A multi-agency initiative has been established to formalize and improve existing coordination and cooperation among different agencies related to the protection and conservation of the coastal and marine environment. This initiative facilitates the approval of coastal development projects after passing strict and holistic assessments on developmental and environmental aspects.
Aiming at further protection and sustaining of the coastal and marine environment, the National Environment Agency has continued to formulate and implement stringent enforcement programmes to ensure full compliance with Singapore's Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) and the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA). The EPMA regulates and controls discharge of wastewater, trade effluents, oil and chemicals into inland waters, drains, land and sea, thereby preventing pollution to the marine and coastal waters. The EPHA regulates the collection, treatment and disposal of solid wastes, including hazardous wastes to prevent pollution of inland and coastal waters.
Singapore’s marine conservation and management strategies are also captured under the Marine Conservation Action Plan (MCAP)—an evolving plan grounded in science to meet the current and future conservation needs of Singapore’s coastal and marine environment. In 2018, Singapore also celebrated 25 years of partnership building with the community in nature conservation. The first community stewardship initiative began with a ground-up project in 1993. Over time, many programmes have been initiated involving more than 40,000 volunteers, citizen scientists, nature advocacy groups, academics and others.
Focal Points:
Mr Ranjeet Singh (National Focal Point)
Divisional Director (International Policy), Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Singapore to the United Nations Environment Programme
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Integrated River Basin Management Project Newsletter - Edition 6
"Threads of Resilience” marks the sixth edition of the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project's newsletter, spotlighting inspiring narratives of women and advancements in project implementation.
This issue features threads of resilience in the stories of women from the Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands of the Pasac-Guagua Watershed in the Philippines, alongside the impactful work of women leaders driving environmental change across Southeast Asia. It also highlights the need to conserve key project sites, including the Ciliwung River in Indonesia.
Key project activities and milestones from the first quarter of 2025 include the ongoing formulation of a framework and solutions template for pilot project development in the seven priority river basins, Lao PDR's approval of the 2025 Work Plan and State of the River Basin Report for the Nam Tha River Basin, and stakeholder validation workshops for the State of River Basin Reports for the Imus-Ylang Ylang and Rio Grande Rivers, as well as the Pasac-Guagua Watershed.
These interconnected efforts are key components of a strengthening web of partnerships and collaboration within the ASEAN region.
2025 MEP Program Planning Workshop
The planning workshop for the 2025 Marine Environment Protector (MEP) Program was conducted on 18-19 March 2025 at Parañaque, Philippines and brought together representatives from MEP partner organizations across six Philippine sites.
Representatives from the four existing MEP program sites presented their 2024 accomplishments and shared lessons learned from implementation. The workshop also served as an introduction for new MEP partners from Bulan and Calbayog who will begin implementation in 2025.
The participants discussed various campaigns and identified effective practices that could be applied across different sites. Together, they drafted comprehensive work plans and timelines aligned with the 2025 implementation guidelines established by the Regional Project Management Unit (RPMU).
The two-day workshop successfully established target outputs for 2025 implementation and developed strategies to effectively impact local communities in their respective sites. Participants focused on ensuring engagement and full support of their respective local government units for proposed marine plastic waste management initiatives.
Proceedings of the 1st Blue Carbon Technical Working Group Meeting
The First Blue Carbon Technical Working Group meeting was held on February 25, 2025, online via video conference (Zoom). The meeting was chaired by the Technical Session Chair and Co-Chair of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council (PC) and participated by PEMSEA country partner designated representatives from China and the Philippines; non-country partner representatives from the National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service (NMHMS), Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF), Conservation International (CI), Korean Maritime Institute (KMI); PNLC members, Xiamen University, University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI); and other collaborators, such as the China Green Carbon Foundation and OceanPixel.