Shore Protection with Integrated Nature-based Solutions – Hydro
This project creates and evaluates coastal protection approaches that blend hard engineering with nature-inspired solutions.
Research Goals
- Study how hybrid coastal protection solutions perform under different flow and wave conditions.
- Understand how nature-based elements respond to the impacts of climate change.
- Build physical models to measure how effectively hybrid structures reduce wave energy.
- Develop clear engineering guidelines to help put hybrid solutions into practice.
Why This Matters
- This project supports Singapore’s strategy to prepare for rising sea levels by developing coastal protection solutions that also benefit the environment.
- By incorporating mangroves and seagrasses, we can boost coastal resilience while capturing carbon and enriching local biodiversity.
- The findings will help improve Singapore’s coastal management approaches and guide the design of adaptable, climate-ready infrastructure.
Latest Research Highlights
- Physical experiments evaluated how mangroves and concrete planters respond to extreme waves, showing how planters protect mangroves by reducing local fluid velocity and dissipating wave energy.
- Further tests under periodic wave conditions quantified wave attenuation and diffraction in partially vegetated zones, identifying design improvements to optimize performance and cost-efficiency.
- Experimental insights inform the design of hybrid coastal solutions that balance ecological function with effective shoreline protection, supporting resilient and predictable nature-based defenses.
Meet the Team
Meet the team behind the Shore Protection with Integrated Nature-based Solutions - Hydro project.
Principal Investigator (PI):
Assistant Professor Gary Lei
National University of Singapore
Research Engineer:
Tan Han Siang
National University of Singapore
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI):
Assistant Professor Zeng Yiwen
Nanyang Technological University
PhD Student:
Gao Guanyi
National University of Singapore
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI):
Associate Professor Peter Alan Todd
National University of Singapore
Senior Research Fellow (RF):
Dr Ow Yan Xiang
National University of Singapore
Research Fellow (RF):
Yushu Xie
National University of Singapore
More Projects from the V2 Domain
Explore research under Integrated Nature-Based Solutions that creates resilient hybrid coastal systems, using natural processes to strengthen Singapore’s protection against flooding, sea-level rise, and extreme weather, with a focus on practical long-term implementation and monitoring.
Download CFI's project booklet for more information on each project
CFI Singapore Tranche 1 and 2
If you wish to reach out regarding a specific project, please email CFI Singapore at cfisg@nus.edu.sg