Technical Report Draft 1

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1. Introduction

People’s Party is inspired by the forefathers that built Singapore. We strive to help further improve on the current issues that Singapore is facing. This report discusses the issue of flash flooding that is seen to be a current recurring problem in Singapore. With the intention of being a (independent)/(high technology)/(keeping up to the advancement of technology) nation, this report also proposes sensors to be integrated in the drainage system to provide improvements.


1.1 Background 

Climate change has affected every country all around the world. Droughts, rising sea levels and increased rainfall are the notable side effects of climate change. While Singapore is protected by its larger, neighbouring countries, it is not excluded from these side effects. According to Elangovan (2021), Singapore will not only face increased temperatures, but also intensified daily rainfalls as a result of climate change. Since 1980, Singapore has faced an increased annual total rate of rainfall each decade (Meteorological Service Singapore, n.d.). These information shows that it is crucial for a tiny, island-country such as Singapore to adapt to climate change before the consequences could surface.

One detrimental impact of rising rainfalls are floods. Flash floods occur at several locations across Singapore whenever there is heavy downpour across the island and where the drainage system is unable to cope. This causes serious problems as it results in significant property damage and major social disruption. Heavy rainfall resulted in shops and carparks which were located in the basement of several shopping malls to be submerged in knee-high water levels and traffic congestions due to stalled cars. Singapore is very much still vulnerable and prone to flash floods caused by the natural environment.

In this essay, we will be focusing on Singapore’s drainage system and the flash floods that occur in Singapore. An estimate of around $2 billion was spent by Public Utility Board (PUB) to improve drainage systems throughout the past 10 years (Tan, 2021). PUB implements water level sensors and CCTV cameras to monitor the drainage situation in Singapore. Even with such implementation, flash floods continue to occur in Singapore. Other than the heavy rainfalls in Singapore that causes these floods, another reason as to why flash floods still occur is due to the lack of preventive measures to check whether drainages are clogged before the occurrence of heavy downpours.
By implementing photoelectric sensors, our drainage systems will be able to detect clogging without getting affected by the presence of drain water. These sensors will be installed at locations which are strategically selected to prioritise energy savings and efficiency (e.g., flood prone areas).



1.2 Problem Statement

Currently, the information provided by the water level sensors and CCTVs that are installed by PUB are insufficient to facilitate the prevention of flash floods in Singapore. The implementation of photoelectric sensors in the drainage system will provide the necessary information which enables further action to be executed to prevent flash floods.


1.3 Purpose Statement

The purpose of this report is to propose to PUB to install sensors in drainage systems to detect the clogging of pipes caused by leaves/debris and to measure the flow of water in the pipes so that a prior warning can be given before the occurrence of floods.


References

Audrey Tan. (2021, April 19). Flash floods in Singapore on Saturday a symptom of climate change, says Grace Fu. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/flash-floods-on-saturday-a-symptom-of-climate-change-says-grace-fu

Meteorological Service Singapore. (n.d.). Past Climate Trends. http://www.weather.gov.sg/climate-past-climate-trends/

Navene Elangovan. (2021, August 09). UN climate report predicts higher temperatures, more rainfall and rising sea levels. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/un-climate-report-predicts-higher-temperatures-more-rainfall-and-rising-sea-levels

Natasha Ganesan. (2021, August 24). Flash floods in parts of Singapore amid ‘prolonged heavy rain’: PUB. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/flash-floods-roads-traffic-aug-24-pub-bukit-timah-2132076

Public Utility Board. (n.d.). Water Level Sensors & CCTVs. https://app.pub.gov.sg/waterlevel/pages/WaterLevelSensors.aspx

Steffi Tam. (2021, January 20). RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY: SINGAPORE’S PROBLEM WITH FLASH FLOODS.  https://www.redbrick.sg/blog/singapores-problem-with-flash-floods/

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