PLAN30001 Issues paper

PLAN30001

Assignment 1: Issues paper

Impact of natural water scarcity on Singapore’s land use pattern Manasi Chopdekar 935401

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PLAN30001

Assignment 1: Issues paper

Fig. 1. Malaysia-Singapore water agreement. From PUB Singapore’s national water agency. Retrieved from https://www.pub.gov.sg/watersupply/fournationaltaps/importedwater. Copyright 2020 by PUB.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, rapid urbanization of cities has resulted in increasing use of their available vacant land for more accommodation, industries and later, for emerging tertiary sector facilities like education, healthcare and leisure to cater to their changing population’s demand and consumption level (Satterthwaite, 2011, pg.

1763). This has placed increasing pressure on the efficient use of limited natural resources that cities have.

This problem is a major urban planning challenge for compact cities like Singapore (Urban Redevelopment Authority, pg. 9), whose land use needs to be meticulously planned in order for its small island nation to be able to accommodate an increasing number of local and immigrant population (Yuen-C 2019) while adhering to its sustainable planning and developmental policies. This means that Singapore has limited land available for natural water storage (International Water Association 2019) and in order to fully sustain its current population, it needs to import water from Johor, Malaysia (see fig. 1). The research undertaken by this report will adopt an exploratory approach (Van Notten 2006, chpt. 4 pg. 5) in analyzing the issue of Singapore’s natural water scarcity, specifically, its impact on the nation’s land use pattern.

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PLAN30001

Assignment 1: Issues paper

Fig. 2. Master plan: Singapore 2008. From “The Emergence of Urban Land Use Patterns Driven by Dispersion and Aggregation Mechanisms,” by Kee Khoon Lee, et. al., 2013, PLoS ONE, p. 3. Copyright 2013 by Michael Batty.

According to the 2008 master plan developed by the URA Singapore (see fig. 2), it can be observed that a large portion of Singapore’s land is allocated to residential development followed by business areas, and green and open spaces, considering Singapore’s aim to be a ‘green city’ (Kolczac 2017). This can be observed even in its 2019 master plan (Urban Redevelopment Authority, 2019).

Currently, Singapore has 17 reservoirs which contribute to local catchment water (see fig. 3), and together with NEWater and desalinated water (Ghangaa 2018), it forms part of the major water sources that the nation has. The local catchment water sources form two-thirds of Singapore’s land use, but meets only about ten percent of its population’s water needs (Ghangaa 2018). This highlights the intensity of Singapore’s natural water scarcity issue.

The nation’s 1962 water agreement with Malaysia, through which it is able to obtain fresh water, stands to expire by 2061 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2020) and though neither countries are allowed to breach the agreement unlawfully, technological advancements in water management made by either country could lead to possible mutually-agreed upon changes.

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Assignment 1: Issues paper

Fig. 3. Singapore’s major waterways and catchments. From Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Retrieved from https://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/hp331-2014-51/?page_id=25. Copyright 2020 by NTU.

Disagreement and political conflict between the two nations has caused uncertainty over the water agreement before (Reuters 2018), which places pressure on Singapore to be self-reliant in water management by the agreement expiry year.

Other driving forces, for instance population growth and climate change, have been analyzed using the problem tree diagram shown in fig. 4. This serves to show the different causes and effects of the addressed issue, which would help Singapore to be able to plan in advance to face the water scarcity challenges it may not yet be ready to tackle.

This enables planners and researchers to brainstorm, thus allowing for new innovations, ideas and strategies that can allow for land to be used most efficiently for Singapore’s population. Additionally, this issue can be taken up as a planning through learning opportunity (Dr. Fastenrath 2020) and can be used as a case study of self-reliance and sustainability for other cities facing similar issues in the future.

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Assignment 1: Issues paper

Fig. 4. Problem tree diagram for issues analysis. Data from Today Singapore (2019, Jun 7), retrieved from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/thirsty-singapore-taps-innovation-secure-its-water-future, The Straits Times (2017, Nov 5), retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/valuing-every-drop-as-water-stressrises and ASEAN Today (2016, Sep 22), retrieved from https://www.aseantoday.com/2016/09/singapores-fightfor-survival-prime-minister-lee-warns-of/.

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Assignment 1: Issues paper

References Dr. Fastenrath, S. (2020). Planning Scenario and Policy Workshop PLAN30001 Lecture 4 Semester 1 – 2020 [Lecture notes]. Retrieved from https://canvas.lms.unimelb.edu.au/courses/14034/external_tools/701 Ghangaa, M. (2018, Jun 26). Singapore's water supply: Where does it come from?.

The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/singapores-water-supply-wheredoes-it-come-from International Water Association. (2019). Turning Isolation into Opportunity. Retrieved from https://iwa-network.org/city/singapore/

Kolczac, A. (2017, Feb 28). This City Aims to Be the World's Greenest. National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urbanexpeditions/green-buildings/green-urban-landscape-cities-Singapore/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2020). Water Agreements. Retrieved from https://www.mfa.gov.sg/SINGAPORES-FOREIGN-POLICY/Key-Issues/WaterAgreements Notten, P. (2006). Scenario development: a typology of approaches: chapter 4. Think Scenarios, Rethink Education. 1-24. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/site/schoolingfortomorrowknowledgebase/futuresthinking/scena rios/37246431.pdf

Reuters. (2018, Jun 26). Water row resurfaces as Malaysia’s belt-tightening resurrects age-old dispute with Singapore. Business Insider Singapore. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.sg/singapore-malaysia-water-row-dispute Satterthwaite, D. (2011). How Urban Societies Can Adapt to Resource Shortage and Climate Change. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences, 369(1942), 1762-83. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2010.0350.

Tng, S & Tan, S. (2012). Designing our city: Planning for a sustainable Singapore.

Singapore: URA. Urban Redevelopment Authority. (2019). Master Plan. Retrieved from https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Planning/Master-Plan/Introduction Yuen-C, T. (2019, Sep 26). Singapore population grows at slower pace to hit 5.7 million. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-population-reaches-57-millionwith-22550-new-citizens

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