POTENTIAL TSUNAMI

Column No : 1965

POTENTIAL TSUNAMI: 7.

Mr Ang Mong Seng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources if there is any concern about Singapore's risk from a potential tsunami in the near future and, if so, what precautions, such as (i) early warning systems; (ii) building and infrastructural reinforcements; and (iii) public education measures, will be put in place.

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Mr Speaker, Sir, a tsunami can travel swiftly across deep oceans without losing much energy, but in shallow waters, the energy would be dissipated through frictional losses. Our geographical position and the relatively shallow waters in the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea make it highly unlikely that Singapore will be affected by a tsunami caused by an earthquake.

Sir, there are no records that Singapore has ever been hit by a tsunami in the past. In the 26th December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Singapore was also not affected. Simulations conducted by renowned research institutes and agencies in the US, France, Denmark and Japan on that tsunami incidence have verified that the Straits of Malacca is not deep enough to sustain tsunamis for long distances.

Therefore, even if future earthquakes move northwards of the epicenter of the 26th December 2004 earthquake, as recently postulated by Dr Smith Dharmasaroja (retired Chief of Thailand Meteorological Department), who warned that this would provide a more direct route for tsunamis to hit Singapore through the Straits of Malacca, the energy of any tsunamis generated is likely to be similarly dissipated in the shallow waters of the Straits of Malacca. Overseas and local experts like Professor Roger Bilham (Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado) and Professor Pan Tso-Chien (Dean of School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University) have supported the view that Singapore is unlikely to be hit by a tsunami caused by an earthquake in the Northern Andaman Sea.

Notwithstanding the low probability of being hit by a tsunami, the Meteorological Services Division (MSD) of the National Environment Agency (NEA) has been developing a system for tsunami monitoring and early warning as part of the Indian Ocean tsunami warning system for the region. This effort started soon after the 26th December 2004 tsunami. MSD is enhancing the local monitoring systems for timely detection of earthquakes. MSD is also working with MPA to enhance the local tidal gauge network to provide real-time information on the tidal levels.

Sir, to complement the local monitoring networks, MSD has established links with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), to receive warnings and advisories from both centres. At the regional level, MSD is working closely with its ASEAN counterparts to share both earthquake and sea-level monitoring data. These arrangements will allow us to be promptly notified of any probable tsunamis affecting the region and provide some lead-time for emergency measures, if necessary. MSD will be setting up a 24-hour warning centre covering tsunami and earthquake by end-2006.

In terms of public education, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has incorporated advisories on the warning signs of tsunamis and what the public should do in the event of a tsunami in its latest edition of the Civil Defence Emergency Handbook, which is available free-of-charge at Community Clubs, Neighbourhood Police Centres and various SCDF facilities. The information is also available on the SCDF website. In addition, tsunami-related public education materials such as pamphlets are distributed and exhibition posters are displayed during SCDF public outreach activities held at residential heartlands across the country.

Dr Geh Min (Nominated Member): Sir, the Minister has said that the risk of a tsunami affecting Singapore is low but, despite that, we are taking precautions as the Singapore Government has a reputation of doing.

It has been shown in the recent tsunami that countries or areas who had retained mangroves and coral reefs were to a large extent protected and conversely, those countries which had destroyed their ecosystems were most severely affected. Is anything being done in Singapore to preserve our mangroves and coral ecosystems, not just against tsunamis but against other natural disasters, for example, land erosion? In those areas which they have been destroyed, how about regrowing them? I know that Semakau is a very good example of good environmental practices but there are other areas in Singapore which are not such good examples.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, as I have mentioned in my reply, because the probability of being hit by a tsunami is very low, we are actually not doing anything about it. We are part of the Indian Ocean warning system and we are beefing up our local capability to play that role.

On the Member's suggestion of whether we want to do something with mangroves because it is proven to be a natural barrier, I think she is aware that we work together with the Nature Society and other NGOs to preserve as much as possible what we have as natural habitats within Singapore and she has cited the good example of Semakau. As and when we see the need to do so, we will continue to do so.