Singapore's 'Long Island' Project Gets Eco-Friendly Boost With Living Seawalls
Singapore, already 70% transformed with hard coastal structures, plans to reclaim 800 hectares for the 'Long Island' project. While this raises concerns for marine habitats, innovative solutions like Living Seawalls offer hope.
Singapore's coastal expansion, like many cities worldwide, is driven by the need to combat flooding. However, this comes at a cost to marine ecosystems. The 'Long Island' project, set to reclaim 800 hectares, has sparked worries about impacts on coral reefs and other marine life.
Enter Living Seawalls, an eco-engineering initiative launched in Sydney in 2018. Using 3D-printed concrete tiles mimicking coral texture, these structures host at least 36% more species than plain seawalls, with up to 85 species found living on the installed panels. Scientists from the National University of Singapore's Experimental Marine Ecology Lab have developed their own version, while the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) team has implemented them in Singapore with early success. These innovative structures contribute to ecosystem rehabilitation by attracting marine life and enhancing water quality.
As Singapore presses ahead with the 'Long Island' project, the integration of Living Seawalls could help mitigate the environmental impact. By attracting marine life and enhancing water quality, these structures offer a promising solution for coastal cities grappling with sea level rise and the need for expansion.
